Book 1), The Thief (The Queen's Thief

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it, but honestly, I failed to see the brilliance everybody is raving about.

The reviewers like to point to a huge twist at the end of the story as the biggest reason for enjoying this book. But if you know in advance that you should expect something, it is very easy to pick up clues on the way and figure out the big secret fairly quickly. I think this anticipation of the big reveal threw me off a bit and I ended up a little underwhelmed when the ending finally came.

What I should have concentrated on is the writing, because it is superb. Turner shows a great command of English language, there is simply no word wasted in this story. Turner's books are highly recommended by Kristin Cashore, a great YA fantasy writer, and the influence of Turner's style on Cashore's is noticeable. The sentence structure, the tightness and simplicity of "The Thief" reminded me of "Graceling," only Turner is definitely is a stronger writer.

I also liked the thief himself. Gen is a funny, sneaky and extremely unreliable narrator, who holds a lot back and while he tells the story in his own words, he remains very anonymous throughout his adventures. I thought it was a very interesting way to write a book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, enough to want to read the consequent novels. However my advice would be - don't waste your time searching for clues and anticipating the huge climax and just enjoy the great writing.

From the beginning, The Thief decieved me. From when I first saw the captivating cover jumping out at me from a YA table at Barnes & Noble up until the moment I picked it up at my local library I was convinced that it was the beginning of a new YA series, likely something high fantasy due to the cover. However, when I looked it up at the library, I found it odd that the book was stocked in the children's section, and even odder that it originally a a completely different, more "kid friendly" cover that touted its success as a 1997 Newberry honor book. Yeah, I know, totally not expecting that. So, just a warning that this is just a re-released, re-packing children's novel masquerading as a new YA series.

Once I got past the initial shock, I actually really enjoyed The Thief, it's a witty, fun adventure with a lush world that filled with exciting plot twists and thrilling action. It tells the story of the thief Gem, who is in prison for stealing the king's seal. Without trying, be comes involved in the king's magus' quest to find Hamiathes's Gift, said to be the creation of the gods that confers the right of rule on the wearer. Gen embarks on an exciting adventure that will make readers cheer for him.

Though The Thief pulls off the YA novel well, it is, at its heart, a charming, witty little children's novel.

The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner, is an action-packed adventure novel filled with mysterious characters and surprising twists. It was awarded a Newberry Honor and ALA Best Book for Young Adults, both in 1997. It was also on the ALA Booklist in 1997. It is 219 pages long, and published by Wm. Morrow ©1996. Also by Turner are 406 page Queen of Attolia, another adventure about the same character, and 132 page Instead of Three Wishes, a collection of stories filled with magical creatures. Both of these books have been on the ALA Booklist. I give The Thief five out of five stars. It is great for young adults who are searching for something more than the average "good guy-bad guy, good guy wins" plot.

"The Thief" is a man named Eugenides, or Gen for short. Because of his bragging, Gen has found himself in jail. After several weeks in jail, Gen is bailed out by none other than the king's scholar, the magus. They travel to a distant place, where Gen is supposed to steal something. The magus won't say what or where it is, just that it was a gift from the Gods. The magus and Gen are accompanied by a man named Ambiades and a teenager named Sophos, who to Gen seem useless, and a soldier named Pol. Will Gen succeed in stealing whatever it is he is trying to steal? If he does, will the Gods be mad? Gen was never fond of the king, or the magus either. Will he betray them? Or will he be betrayed to the enemies by one of his fellow travelers? The only way to find out is to read the book!

In a majority of the book, everyone was infamous to Gen. In jail a guard always laughed at him and even the king pulled his hair. He is just a tool to his fellow travelers, like a carpenter's hammer, so the magus gets all the credit for his work. When some food mysteriously disappears from the pack, the magus blamed Gen and whipped him with a horse crop. These things made me furious.

Sometimes, though, Pol and Sophos were nice to Gen. In jail, his wrists were bruised badly by hand cuffs. Pol helped heal them. He also gave Gen a string to tie his hair. Sophos gave Gen some of his own food when he was starving. Sophos always helped Gen onto horses. He even gives Gen a sword to protect himself with. These things made the rough traveling a little easier.

This book is hard to get into at first, but once you jump in you don't want to get out. When the book is over, you don't want to put it down. You want to find out what Gen, Sophos, and the magus do next. You long for the adventure to continue. If you like adventure and mystery, then I STRONGLY suggest The Thief. But, if you like action to start off a book or if you like books that don't make you think, then evade this book and go read Captain Underpants.

Have you ever read a book that seemed to steal your time from other things? I have, it was "The Thief" by: Megan Whalen Turner. "The Thief" is a Historical Fiction and Adventure book combined. "The Thief" has won 3 awards; it was a '97 Newbery Honor Book, an ALA notable book, and an ALA best book for young adults. I rate "The Thief" 9 out of 10, because it was a great book with good description, characters, and setting. Eugenides (Gen) named after the Eddisian god of thieves is the main character in this story. Gen is shorter than the average man. He has long black hair that he keeps tied in a leather thong or a piece of twine in the back of his head. He has brown eyes and black eyebrows as well. Gen is fairly cocky and proud. "I can steal anything" Gen boasted He also isn't very patient. Gens importance in the story is that he is chosen by the king's magus to go on a quest to steal Hamiathes's Gift. The gift is said to make its holder immortal. Also, the bearer of it is king/queen of Eddis. In this book the setting is completely fantasy, except that it is similar to ancient Greece. Mainly the setting in this book is in the area around Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia, three countries. The time in which the book takes place is 1400-1500. The importance of the setting is that Sounis is trying to get Hamiathes's gift so that it and Eddis will become one large and powerful empire. In the book a plague swept through Sounis and Attolia killing thousands around 20 years before Gen and the Magus traveled through the countries. In actuality the Bubonic plague spread through Greece in 1342. Also, just as they were leaving Sounis the pocket watch had begun production. In actuality the pocket watch was invented in 1500. I think that Megan Whalen Turner did a good job on the setting because she created a fantasy area specifically for this book. In this story the moods change quite frequently. "I rolled my hand over and opened the fist so that he [the magus] could see the gift, resting on my palm His knees seemed to weaken, and he squatted beside me with his mouth open. I smiled in wonder and my own delight." In this instance the mood is joy because Gen had succeeded in stealing Hamiathes's Gift. Mostly the joy is in the Magus in this excerpt because he would be able to make the countries of Eddis and Sounis one. "I opened my mouth to point out that I had no sword to defend myself with, nor that I wouldn't have climbed the tree anyway, but instead I pointed to his shirt. He lifted one hand instinctively to check for a wound, before he realized. Hamiathes's Gift was gone. He looked down at the neatly sliced leather thong lying over his shoulder. He ran his hands over it in disbelief, the felt franticly through the folds of his clothes. He checked the folds of his clothes. He checked the ridges of his saddle and saddle bags before he jumped off of his horse and walked into the stream cursing." Panic was the mood in this instance because they had lost what they came so far for and worked so hard for had been lost. Again in this excerpt the panic is mostly in the magus because he had lost his chance to be famous. " "Gen," he said under his breath "you viper" " The magus is mad in this instance because Gen had betrayed him and stolen Hamiathes's Gift from him. Then he gave it to his queen. Overall, the mood in this book changed just about twice each chapter giving the book constant twists. In the end I recommend this book because it is a very descriptive and unique book. I think it is a great book for teenagers and adults. Also, it is a great book for a person that enjoys LOTS of twists in a book. Finally I recommend this book for anyone that likes Adventure books in the present or future because this one is in the past unlike most other adventure books. Definitely, a great read.

I’m in love with Megan Whalen Turner’s, The Queens Thief. Not predictable and fully engaging with Gods and Goddesses showing up somewhat unexpectedly and often in the nick of time. I read all four of her novels, one after another because I loved the characters and her worldbuilding so much. You are lucky you don’t have to wait for 2,3, and 4. Moving and delightful in so many ways. Read it.

The Thief starts where the main character, Gen is in a prison cell for stealing the kings seal. He is then awakened by the king's magus, or head scholar, to leave on a journey that will put Gen into a celebrity position. The journey is one through very harsh conditions across a land strangely resembling that of ancient Greece to find Hemiathe's Gift. A stone that supposedly, if real, can give the wearer the gift of immortality. Also, it would prove the person to find it to be the undisputed leader of Attolia. On this journey, the magus has selected a comical group to come with him on the journey besides Gen. There are Ambiades and Sophos, freqently referred to in the book as the two uselesses and the magus's students and Pol, a burly soldier supposedly there only for the sake and safety of Sophos. On the journey to the temple of Hemiathes, Gen realizes that he is simply a tool to steal the gift and I quote, "If a blacksmith makes a sword, is it the hammer that gets the credit of actually making the sword?" sadly, this hammer has ideas of its own. Once the gift is secured by the king of Sounis, he will take control of Attolia and expand his empire past a certain mountain range and unite the whole world under his rule. Crazy plan if you ask me, but I guess it's worth it. If there were such things as half stars, I would have given The Thief 4 1/2 stars but there aren't. If you want to learn about the gods of the REAL Greek pantheon I suggest you go read another book because Megan Whalen Turner made theese gods up. Also, in the book, nothing is historically accurate in terms of the bubonic plague, gunpowder, the movable type, and the pocketwatch. But I still highly reccomend that you should read this book and that the Newberry Honor wasn't good enough for this book, it should've won the medal. Lastly, in conclusion, I can't wait to read the follow up, the Queen of Attolia.

"I can steal anything." Gen (the protagonist) makes this statement on page 11 in the fiction book Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. This sentence shows Gen's courage ness and cockiness when he is on a mission to steal something as a thief.

The book's setting in the kingdoms of Eddis and Attolia. The time is impossible to predict because they have many old qualities from Greek times, like wearing tunics and kingdoms, but they possess guns.

The main characters are Gen, the magus, Ambiades, Pol, and Sophos. The story starts out as Gen being in jail after being caught when he stole the King's seal ring. The magus though sets him free on one condition. He must accept a seemingly impossible task to steal a very valuable treasure in another land. To the magus, Gen is just a tool, but he is tricky, cunning, and a survivor with a plan of his own. Sophos, Ambiades, and Pol are back up and guards to protect and make sure Gen does not run away. At first, Gen only thought of himself and did not care about the mission. But nearing around the book, he grows closer to Sophos, like a great friend and continues the mission to the very end. Never giving up and trying your hardest to do whatever you want. I think that is the theme the author is trying to portray in her text. I thought this book was great because of all the events that have happened in the book. Sneaking through the land, and entering a temple with a valuable treasure hidden inside. This book is perfect for whoever likes to read about adventure. Just like Gen, never give up but give everything you have got.

The Thief

What does bineginfiutilazation mean? Simply put, being forced to use

a second nature skill for its opposite purpose. When would you need to use

such a word? Well one instance could be when Magus frees a thief and

makes him steal an elixir of life. To figure out more about Gen and his

adventures with bineginfiutilazation, the only way to find out is in Megan

Turner's fantasy novel, The Thief.

The most skilled thief in the three great nations, Sounis, Attolia and

Eddis has finally been caught. Though only to be freed by the king's chief

advisor Magus, who is sent to retrieve a magical stone that grants it's holder

eternal life. The stone is called Himiathes Gift. Magus wants Gen to steal it

for him. But the two will not go alone. Magus brings his two apprentices,

Ambiades and Sophos. Sophos is a young man who is the son of the duke,

and his partner Ambiades, who is older, taller and better skilled with a

sword and shield. And last, but not least, a soldier who cooks for our heroes and teaches Sophos and Ambiades in the art of swordplay. The leader magus is witty,

tall, skilled with a sword and has a persuasive way of saying everything.

Gen thinks he's a stuck up guy who's never seen a life in the gutter like his.

I recommend this book to fifth through ninth graders who enjoy

mythological and complex tales. Representing a less extreme Lord of the

Rings, it shows similar and different characteristics to the classic novels by

Tolkien.

Set in fictional, Byzantine/Greek-like nations, The Thief is a first-person narrative of Gen, a young thief who finds himself dragged out of prison to go on a secret mission for the King of Sounis' Magis. What he's asked to retrieve is impossible to find and no one has yet succeeded alive. This book is the first in an unfinished saga about three neighboring nations (Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia) and their key-players.

These books are my new obsession (just wait until I review the next one, which is my favorite!). Seriously, I love, love, love these books.

The characters are phenomenal. Good or bad, you cannot help but love them all and empathize with them in some way. Gen, the protagonist, is particularly lovable and hilarious with his sarcastic wit and talent to be conniving yet admirable.

Turner has an above-bar talent for writing! There are so many twists and turns in the story that you do not see coming. She has a talent for writing exactly what she means, while making you think something entirely different. It's great. I love surprises!

This book is full of adventure and mystery and also portrays honor, bravery and character.

The beginning is SLIGHTLY slow-moving, BUT keep going because the rest of the book is amazing-as well as the rest of the series.

Basically, I think the people who gave this one star are nuts.

As a 25 year old, I thought I'd leave a good review to round out all the kid reviews on here. My mom bought me this book when I was 13 as part of a crusade to get me to shut off the tv and read award-winning books. I thought I was going to hate it, but was immediately hooked.

I still to this day remember reading the ending of this book. I refused to put it down in the car and took it into the grocery store where I sat down in the corner of the Costco and was frantically flipping page after page to get to the ending. I've donated a lot of books to charity, but The Thief remains on my shelf and it's one of my favorite childhood books, up there with the Giver, the Just So Stories, and Enchanted Ella.

BUY THIS BOOK FOR YOUR KIDS. While you're at it, pick up the 2nd and 3rd books (The Queen of Attolia and the The King of Attolia) as well. (I wasn't fond of the 4th book, as there was depressing little of our protagonist, so I'd skip that one)

As the title suggests, this is a book about a thief - - a very talented thief, and an interesting character, as it turns out. The story occurs in a fantasy world that tends to invoke classical Greece instead of the more typical use of medieval imagery. The world has a well-developed creation myth that plays an important role in the story, some partially-explained politics, and a weak sense of daily life.

There's a long stretch in which Turner uses a journey to develop the characters and to explain the fantasy world to the readers. She does this very effectively but that doesn't change the fact that this is a really long exposition for what comes later. Do pay attention here, though, as character strengths and flaws revealed here are very important.

After the journey-exposition section, we get a series of action scenes - - extended thiefery, some battles and some chase scenes. These are all well-paced, and the key thiefing takes place in a very well imagined setting.

The book concludes pretty quickly with a series of plot twists. In our family, the older you are, the more of these twists you saw coming. Our pre-teen was caught by surprise, and really enjoyed the twists.

Overall, this is a well-written and enjoyable read, hitting all the notes that you want in a fantasy adventure, and more clever in many respects than the typical book in this market.

Holy cow! Didn't see that twist (or should I say "many twists") coming! I read quite a lot and can usually see what's coming, especially in books marketed toward tweens and teens--but this left me completely blindsided! Ms. Turner manages to tell this story in a way that lets the reader feel well-informed but leaves out just enough so that there are surprises that are satisfying, comfortable, and believable.

We meet Gen already imprisoned for stealing the King's seal from right under the nose of his most trusted adviser, Magus, and boasting about it in public. Gen doesn't seem like the most brilliant thief, but he is the most talented thief. Now, the King wants something pretty bad and has an assignment for him--travel to another kingdom and steal a mythical object for him or they kill him. Now he's on a journey with the king's adviser, his 2 apprentices Gen nicknames Useless the Elder and Useless the Younger, and a soldier.

I absolutely LOVED this book. As other reviewers pointed out, there doesn't seem like much of a point to the story in the beginning, but Gen's sense of humor and tidbits of his background to how he ended up in prison keep things moving. This is a story that I will definitely reread again and again.

I was so very fortunate to have won a copy of this book from the author in the hope that I would pass this along so that others could read it. I am giving my copy to the library at my son's school. They are thrilled to be getting it and I know that many other kids will be reading it for some time to come.
Now, about the book itself... I can see why this book has won so many awards. It's quite a tale. I do feel it's geared towards middle school age kids but older teens are just as likely to enjoy it. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. I see that there are a couple more books planned beyond what's out there now as well.
This book was suspenseful and interesting. Gen, the main character, was not terribly likeable in the very beginning. However, as the story went on, he became much more endearing. Ms. Turner's writing pulls you in and takes you along on the journey. I'm excited to see where Gen's adventures take him next.

After publicly boasting that he can steal anything and pledging to prove it by stealing the seal ring of the King of Sounis, young Gen lands himself in prison when he afterward seeks to prove his skills by displaying the stolen seal to an agent of the king. After a suitable term in prison, the magus of the king releases him because he needs just such a thief - skilled but not too smart - for a secret trip to a neighboring kingdom for a heist that may change the fate of the three kingdoms of Sounis, Attolia, and Eddis.

As it turns out, nothing is what it seems in this witty, fast-paced page turner that is suitable, appropriate, and engrossing for adults down to junior high, and even for elementary age as a read-aloud. You will enjoy it even more the second time around as you pick out the subtle clues and foreshadowing that are intricately laced throughout the story to provide the delightfully suprising conclusion.

The Thief is fantasy in a medieval-style world set in an ancient-Greece-like landscape, complete with gods and goddesses who may or may not be taking a hand in mortal affairs. Please, do yourself a favor and read the first book before you read any reviews of the subsequent books, unless you want plot spoilers!

When Gen flaunts his ability to ìsteal anythingî he is thrown into the Kings prison. But when The Kings Scholar the magus needs a thief, he chooses Gen who ends up on a mission to steal what he thought only existed in fairytales. Gen is clever, cocky, and sometimes too quick with his tongue. As he is journeying through, what Megan W. Turner based on ancient Greece, he is accompanied by to boys around his age, Sophos, and Ambiades, the Magus and a man named Pol sent to protect Sophos by his father. Each character is painted in a different style and each has back round stories that you understand in greater detail towards the end of the book. The book had a great landscape and you felt you could see this land in your mind. I loved that it was based on ancient Greek times and I could find many similarities with it and actual Greek history. I really enjoyed when they told stories about the gods of that time, it really gave you more of a feel for the setting. It was a bit hard to

understand it at times, and I had to re-read paragraphs over again to understand had just happened. It really grabbed you at the end and made you read it for hours on end. Overall I really liked this book, and I think anyone who enjoys adventure/historical fiction would love this book. 11-13 year olds would like it best.

I really enjoyed this. If this is supposed to be the worst book of the series, than this is going to be a fantastic series.
Gen speaks to me on a personal level with his love of eating.
I did not guess the twist, nor was I remotely close to it. Color me surprised when I found out. But, it makes me love the certain character more.

Gen was not 'just' a petty thief! He was an excellent one, with attitude, pride, wit and of course, a 'big' secret of his own. I totally enjoyed his interaction among the Magus group. From the first page, you will build a maze in your mind, trying to guess who was Gen, what was he going to do next and why did he do what he did. It's like starting from the folded end of a folded rope and ending to find the start and the end of the rope tied majestically, with the gods' meddling in it :).

I couldn't stop being surprised and touched by the relationship bertween the Magus and Gen, a not-successful too-much-bragging thief the Magus thought he was. How the clash between them changed into a deep and honorful friendship. Not to mention Gen's outright comments that sometimes got the best of him and his effort to place Gen back into just a tool to steal. I can't get enough of it. Mrs. Turner surely knows who her characters were.

In the end... No, I don't want it to get ended coz I will pick The Queen of Attolia right from my shelf next... I think I will get back to this book after I finished rereading that one too after a looong time :))

Thank you for waking me up from a long dull slumber. This is more than a 10 starred worth review for it.

This was a really good book; I'd give it more like 4.5 stars if I had the option. It didn't change my life or anything but it was a very good young adult fantasy book. So far there are three books in this series that I have seen called "The Queen's Thief" series. This is the first of the three.

In this book Gen is languishing in prison after bragging about stealing an important item from the king and getting caught. The King's magus comes to promise that he will free Gen if Gen can find and steal the magus a very important item.

This book is well-written and is written in a very straight forward, easy-to-read, style. It is definitely a fantasy adventure; the world the story is set in will remind of the middle ages a little bit with the exception of some additional bits of technology thrown in (guns, clocks, etc). This book is just a good book until you get to the end. The twists thrown at the reader at the end of the book are very well done and make this an exceptional book.

I was disappointed when the book ended...I really want to read more about Gen's adventures. Luckily there are two more books out there that I can read!

Highly overrated. I stopped reading 3/4 of the way through this book because I realized that I didn't care what happened to any of the characters, and the story itself was bland. It would be better with much more character development, and other side stories or points of view about this stone and it's significance. There was only enough story in this book for maybe 70 pages - the rest of it was rambling that didn't really heighten the stakes or forward the action.

Usually I can be pretty critical in my opinion of a book. I rarely give a book 5 out of 5 stars. However, this book is just too awesome. To warn you, I'll probably end up going into many tangents, but I'll try to remain helpful in this review. Odds are by the time you've read this review you know what the story is about and who the characters are, so I'll skip the summary and go right into analysis.
Gen's voice is distinct and entertaining from the beginning. The entire story is from the first person point of view, and the amount of narration greatly outweighs the amount of dialogue. However, even though we're pretty much in Gen's head 24/7 he manages to keep several secrets from us until the very end.
Gen isn't the only one with secrets, several other characters have them as well. It is because of these secrets that my opinion of the characters changed at the end, however I'll give the impression I had of them for the beginning and middle of the story. The Magus, Pol, Sophos, and Ambiades each have a secret as well as a unique personality.
My impression of Magus for the majority of the story was that he's a pompous jerk. However Turner does a good job of changing my mind in the end (not an easy thing to do). My opinion of Pol was somewhat split. On one hand he does a lot of the Magus' bidding which makes him seem mean, on the other hand he is civil and respectful of Gen - not from the start, but around the middle he becomes respectful.
Sophos is really sweet. He's nice and kind, especially to Gen, but unfortunately lets other people control him. Ambiades...don't get me started on him. I don't like him. Nope. Not at all. Didn't from the beginning. If I viewed the Magus as a pompous jerk, it makes sense Ambiades is his apprentice as he's a mini version of the pompous jerk. A pompous jerk in training you might say.
The plot itself had many twists and turns, ups and downs. Few things I was able to predict, but most I wasn't. The pacing, was admittedly slow in some places, to the point where I skipped some parts and went back to read them later on. The world building was amazingly extensive. Turner really did her research in every little detail.
My one true complaint is the fact that we never really learn what the ages of the characters are. It's implied Gen, Sophos, and Ambiades are in their late teens or early twenties. Magus and Pol somewhere past 35, probably younger than 60.
Over all the book is an enticing and enjoyable read. I would suggest to anybody regardless of what genres they prefer.

I loved this book (and the continuing series). Gen is so clever and funny and heartbreaking. The way the story unfolds is masterful.
If you liked the Riyria series by Sullivan you will probably enjoy this as well.

As others have mentioned there is some "language" in the book (I only remember less than a handful). And there is also a bit of violence (more so in later books).
The overall story was a good one, though.

Basic plot-line: Gen, who brags he is the best thief in the land, is employed by the King's right-hand man to take part in an adventure to steal an object known as Hamiathes's Gift.

This book seemed to get off to a very slow start. I was almost half-way through before my interest was finally perked. I loved the stories of the gods that Gen and the magus started telling - it amazed me that the author could make up her own myths in the style of the Greek ones without actually copying them. The characters started fleshing out and I began to like or dislike them accordingly.

As soon as I reached the point where the company reached their destination, I turned page after page, barely able to read fast enough to find out what would happen next. At times I found myself gripping the book tightly in both hands, almost gasping for breath in the midst of the suspense and action!

By the time I read the last sentence I was left with a feeling of satisfaction and decided that, slow beginning ignored, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I will definitely be picking up the sequel.

This book, The Thief by Megan Turner is an extremely descriptive Action \ Adventure book that will always leave you hanging. I think this book had loads of suspense. It always made me read chapter after chapter. This book is about an anti established man named Gen who is called out of a king's prison by the Magnus.The Magnus then tells Gen to steal a priceless jewel from a cave in which the bravest people have not made it out alive.Gen also has to face the journey to the cave. He experiences obstacles and having to put up with a rival who is always trying to torture him and annoy him. This book is being recommended because it does not have an average, boring plot, it's plot is very original. The author doesn't use over-used words like good and nice but shocking and horrifying. Also, this book has ancient , interesting mythology that explains how things came to be on the earth, like hills and rivers . This , makes the book improve even more without the plot needed. An annoying thing about this book is the clever retorts that only the main character says . Personally , I think that one can easily read over it without getting annoyed . The bad side never winning an argument maybe corny or stupid to some. But, this doesn't change really change the book because dialogue like that does' n t appear that much in the book. So concluding the pros and the cons, this is a awesome book to read.

Gen (Eugenides) is a young man with one singular talent...he can steal anything, as evidenced by his successful theft of the King of Sounis' seal. There is one problem, after boasting about the successful theft in a cheap wine tavern the reigning King heard wind of this deed and had Gen thrown into jail. So, here sits Gen, wasting away until the King finds a usage for him, or rather the King's Magus finds a use for him. After months of rotting away in prison the Magus comes and retrieves him, feeds him, forces him to bathe, and makes him confront his greatest fear... horses. They set out on an errand for the King, an errand that is really the Magus' obsession, but at first Gen is completely unaware as to what the nature of the errand is. All he knows is that he and four other men are traveling by horses to the neighboring kingdom of Attolia, by way of Eddis.

The Magus spends a good time training his two pupils on the road. Ambiades is a man a few years older than Gen, tall, arrogant, and cruel. Sophos is a man younger than Gen, naive, intelligent, and valiant. Accompanied with the party is a man named Pol, the captain of Sophos' father's guards, whose single minded desire is to protect his charge's heir at all cost. So, without knowing the reason this motley crew finds their way across Eddis, a Mediterranean like landscape full of olive trees and rolling hills. It is not until several days into the quest does Gen find out the goal. Some time before a precious treasure was hidden, a gift from the gods. It is a stone that supposedly grants immortality. The legends state that Hephestia, most powerful of all gods, gave this stone to Hamiathes who past it along to his son until it was stolen some time later, and the power of the stone to grant eternal life disappears unless it is gifted to some one. Sounis wants the stone so he can give it to the Queen of Eddis as a marriage token, so that further down the road he can march through her realm to war with Attolia. Gen has been brought along to break into the chamber the stone is rumored to be hidden in, but the Magus intends to take all of the credit by gifting the King of Sounis with it once they have it, effectively landing him in the position of King's thief. Gen is irritated by this, but has little choice.

In a journey fraught with peril, political intrigue, treachery, starvation, and misplaced anger Gen finds more and more that he wants to succeed. It would hurt his reputation, not to mention his professional pride, if he failed. But the problem is that the chamber is well hidden, and he only has a limited time to find the stone, or he'll die trying. But even if he triumphs over that challenge, is there more danger awaiting him in the court of the nobles?

I am happy to say that I loved this book. Initially, I ordered it for the store I work in because it's a Newbery honor book, but I knew little about it until I saw that the third book in this series "The King of Attolia" just was written up in the Book Sense Spring newsletter for notable children's books. I decided I should read the first one after reading the summaries of it and the last book. All I can say is that I am amazed I overlooked this book for so long. It is simply a treat, a joy, an incredible piece of storytelling. Gen is such a tremendously rounded character that you find yourself rooting for him even if he is unsavory. Pol and Sophos have a great dynamic between them, Ambiades is so well developed and devious that I genuinely wished I could have smacked the arrogance off his pretty face at times. Even the Magus has his strong points, and the story is phenomenal. I can say with no hesitation that as soon as I get to work I am ordering the second and third books... mostly because I want to read them, but secondly because I have to tell people about this amazing book that I can only hope is an amazing trilogy.... If I say amazing one more time I think anyone reading this is bound to discredit me, but trust me I am usually fairly fluent in my descriptive adjectives especially when it comes to superb books... this book has me speechless. I do believe a book hasn't hit me like this since "Howl's Moving Castle" (which, coincidentally, the author cites as being one of her favorite books and authors, go figure). Read this book. Read the series. I can already tell you that the world of Gen the thief and the political intrigues of his country will draw you in and make you lose sleep... I certainly did, but I will stop gushing now, you get the picture, I gather.

10 out of 5 stars, if I could do that.

Was good read but not so fabulous that I'll be recommending to friends. Entertaining but sub stories of unfamiliar gods with similar names and also country politics was overboard and i didn't bother to keep it straight. I would've preferred she stick to the present characters with minimal history bc what's going on in the present is the most interesting. Enjoyed a plot twist or two

Gen is stuck in the King's prison after accepting a bet that he could steal anything, to prove he is a master thief. He stole the King's Seal, but unfortunately, it didn't end well for him. After months of languishing in his cell he's taken out by the King's advisor, the Magus, who needs him for a secret mission to steal an artifact of the Gods that people believe will legitimize the kingship over a rival land. They are accompanied by two other boys--the Magus' apprentice and a young noble--and a soldier. But the whole plan depends on Gen's abilities as a Master Thief.

It is set in a land that is similar to ancient Greece, only with more advanced technology (guns and watches--as well as the more usual swords). There are dreams of Gods and secret chambers and political intrigue and betrayals and twists that make this adventure enjoyable. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Only once in a lifetime does a thief get to steal the world's most guarded object, and Gen is getting this chance. Imprisoned inside the king's dungeon for stealing his seal, he is called upon to help retrieve Hamiathes's Gift. It is said that the owner of this precious stone will rule Eddis, the kings neighboring country. The stone is hidden deep beneath a river inside a dangerous labyrinth. Every attempt to steal this stone has ended in death. Except for four nights of the year the cave is submerged in water. He is forced to ride day and night even with the infected wounds on his arm from prison bars. Too weak to travel they must stop frequently delaying their arrival at the cave. They arrive during the second night of the four night period in which the cave is drained of water, leaving only three nights for Gen to find this precious stone. Even though Gen is said to be the best thief in the world all other attempts have failed. Guarded by the gods of the world Gen's chance is slim. Even if he does succeed, each individual of his group has plans of their own. Filled with adventure, betrayal, action and comedy The Thief is a book everyone should read.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. Gen, a common thief, had bragged his way into prison. But soon the Magnus, hearing the of Gen's reputation, takes Gen out of prison and onto a journey to steal something out of a fairy tale. Accompany the Magnus, and Gen on the journey are Sophos and Ambiades, Gen names as the Uselesses, and Pol.

Very entertaining book about there journey to steal what Gen believes is a fairy tale. All characters have there own personality which makes the book even better. I love the Sophos character how he is always asking questions even at the worst times. Of course I like the main character Gen, always having something witty to say. Pol is great too, always quietly there to get Sophos out of trouble.

The book takes a sudden twist at the end that I didn't even see coming. I thought it was well done. I can't wait to read the next book in the series: The Queen of Attolia.

When Gen is arrested for stealing the king's seal ring, his escape from the prison comes in an unlikely way: the magus, the king's scholar, needs Gen's help in retrieving a magical artifact from a neighboring (and unfriendly) land. Little does the magus know that not only is Gen a thief, but he's also far cleverer than people are giving him credit for.

While initially slow to get started, this book turned into a really solid, well-written and enjoyable book. I don't have a lot to say, really, but here's my general thoughts: this book had lots of twists and turns, political intrigue, and engaging and fun characters (particularly the narrator, Gen). I have heard from many that the series gets better as it goes along, so I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books.

Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief is a novel both broad in scope and minutely personal. It is the story of Gen, a talented thief that at the story's opening is captive in the king's prison, victim to his own bragging. But when the king's magus wants to steal a fabled relic from another kingdom he needs a master thief, and none is more skilled than Gen. So begins Gen's adventure, as the magus and his companions set out on a journey to steal the unstealable.

Turner fashions a well wrought web of history and political intrigue, painting it on a canvas of half-forgotten gods and myths. The first half of the book is relatively slow as we learn about Gen's companions and the kingdoms they inhabit, but I was never bored. The world, based loosely on ancient Greece, is lush and interesting, and the characters are all deeper than they first appear.

Unfortunately The Thief suffers from one major flaw: the story is told from Gen's point of view, but we know next to nothing about his personal history or motivations until the very end. Gen isn't an unreliable narrator which, handled well, can make for a clever twist; he is a deficient narrator, simply omitting key pieces of information until he springs them on the reader with self-satisfied relish. It makes an otherwise thrilling story somewhat flat; Gen could have been a lot more interesting and sympathetic a character if we had known his plans all along.

Despite my complaints, I did enjoy The Thief. I have it on good authority that the following books are better, so I'm looking forward to reading those too. Megan Whalen Turner has created a vivid, fascinating world, and I can't wait to see what else happens there.

I didn't know what I was getting into with this one. I had asked my Twitter followers for high fantasy recommendations and Megan Whalen Turner came up several times. So I looked her up and decided to indulge in her Queen's Thief Series with the repeated reminders from both friends and fellow bloggers that while the first book is okay, the series happens to get better and better.

And with that in mind, I trudged through this book. In truth, it is a very quick read--closer to 200 pages than it is 300 pages. And it is certainly unique and enjoyable, but the beginning dragged greatly for me. I was literally about 52% of the way into the book before the novel truly got me interested, but after that, the interest and plot twists kept expanded and easily held my attention. It's such a shame that it literally took more than half the book for me to want to read this story, though. I had to wait until Gen had to go thieving for the magus to truly be enraptured. And while Turner eventually did wholly grab my attention, I wish the first half of the book was more engaging because Turner certainly has the skill to capture one's focus when she really wants to. In the beginning of the novel, the only part that truly interested me was the mythological stories that they shared around the campfires at night. As Turner noted in the book, this story is roughly based off of Greek culture. I found those to be refreshing, interesting passages that distracted from the slow pace of the beginning of the novel.

But I have to admit that I very much enjoyed Gen's character. I was a bit put-off by him in the beginning of the book. He seemed ungrateful and rude, a thief who was given a second chance at life when he was broken out of prison to go on an adventure who didn't understand the awesome deck of cards he was just dealt. However, as the book progressed I came to realize that Gen is actually some form of an amazing anti-hero. He's a criminal, but he's the intelligent hero in this story that often risks his life and seems to outsmart everyone--even if he does spend a good portion of this book antagonizing others and whining. He is not what you expect when you think of a hero, and that's what made him all the more interesting. It almost seemed that this clever thief was able to play the readers just as easily as he played his traveling companions--all of which who were enjoyable for different reasons (especially Pol and Sophos) aside from Ambiades. The names sound very Greek, no?

It took a slight while to adjust to Turner's writing style as well. The first half of the book was pages and pages of explanations, thoughts that weren't spoken allowed, with a spattering of dialogue. I think that this is the reason that the first half of the book dragged for me. It was a lot of Gen observing his surroundings, the people he was with, testing them and explaining what he wanted to do in his mind. His thoughts, more of his thoughts, and even more of his private thoughts. Dialogue was desperately needed in many different sequences. Once it came and the detail was put to better use by describing awesome ancient layers than the rocks that they were passing or the feel of riding on horseback, the book got to be much better. And surprise, surprise, the dialogue was actually really great aside from the times that the magus threw himself into his long-winded educational speeches. But, hey, isn't that expected of a magus to begin with?

The plot twists were actually littered throughout the entire novel, but they weren't exposed as one huge grand scheme until the end of the book. And I must admit, the epiphany shocked me and was totally great at the same time. The full circle took this average and slightly boring beginning up to a good read with a mostly positive review. So, with that in mind, I eagerly plan on continuing this series with the knowledge that many believe that books two, three, and four outweigh book one in characterization, writing, and plot. If Turner exhibits the writing style that shown in the second half of this book in all of the future ones, I know I will love.

THE THIEF
"The Thief" is a thriller about a prisoner taken out of jail to steal a precious stone. The stone gives immortality to the holder. It is hidden away in an ancient cave that is only open four days in a year and is covered with a river for the rest of the time. Many surprising twists and turns in the plot take place along this journey as the characters' real identities spill out along the story with the "Thief's" large quantity of secrets and tricks and his constant complaining about just being a "tool." This book has a great deal of description and details included in the journey part of the story with a large amount of secrets that a reader is surprised at finding out. The book itself has a great deal of action and traveling mixed in with very well-made up myths and stories about gods taking place in a imaginary land a bit like Greece. I recommend this book to readers that love mystery, action, and many surprising details that slip out of the story, and to sixth graders and up because littler kids may not truly understand this book and would miss out on a great story.

A friend of mine loaned this to me years ago. It's a very enjoyable story in a Greek setting. The main character, Eugenides is extraordinarily clever and snarky. The characters develop wonderfully as the book progresses.

Reading the blurb on the jacket, I was expecting a re-hash of the Aladdin story; the young clever thief takes service under the king's sorcerer/magus and turns the tables on him. I was reading it for my 13 year-old sister, making sure there was no objectionable content. I didn't expect to love it myself, but I did. The Thief is well-written with two highly entertaining characters. Both the protagonist, Gen, and the magus have an excellent sense of humor but Gen is doubly enjoyable because he is an unusual hero. First of all, he is anything but stoic; he wimpers, wiggles, and whines when he's injured, never even tries to hold back a scream, and has no martial ambitions. Secondly, there is a twist at the end (which, incidentally, took me completely by surprise) that reveals just how clever Gen is. It's leagues beyond Aladdin for sure.
I cannot go into further detail without spoiling the book. Suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it; I now own it and have already re-read it twice.
There are two more (and a third coming out in 2010) books in the series, but The Thief is worth the read even on its own. In fact, younger children should probably stop there because the following books get much darker (although the plots remain well-crafted and intriguing). My 13 year-old sister really enjoyed them, but my younger siblings can't read them yet as they contain some language: the lands of Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia worship a pantheon of fictitious gods and swear by them: not appropriate for children who cannot distinguish between swearing by false gods and swearing by the true God. Moreover, there are references to illegitimate offspring (although these are off-hand comments, unimportant to the story) that might raise awkward questions in young minds and teach them a few undesirable words.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner is the first book of The Queen's Theif series. In this book, we meet Gen, short for Eugenides, named for the God Eugenides, the patron God of theives. When we meet him, Gen has been locked in the King's prison for an unknown length of time, although it's clear he's been there a while. We don't know much about Gen, and he doesn't bother to tell anyone too much about himself beyond the boast that is responsible for his current predicament; "I can steal anything".

He is taken from the prison by a man close to the King, and told that he is going to help him as a theif, or... else (cue omnious music). With no other choices, Gen leave the King's City with a small group of travelers on a journey with an as yet undisclosed destination. We know what Gen knows, which is simply that his expertise as a theif will be required.

The book is narrated by Gen, and we learn about him as the novel progresses. I loved his internal dialouge, and the way he speaks and interacts with the people taking him on the quest. Although he's a theif, just 'realeased' from prison, Gen has a strong moral compass, and seems very genuine, and very sincere. It is clear from the beginning that there is more to Gen than meets the eye, but very little information is given to us. Most of it we are left to wonder about, puzzle over, and wait until Gen sees fit to let people know more about him.

The book is very well written. We are given enough information throughout the story that I never felt frustrated by what I didn't know. I knew enough to be comfortable with the story, and I trusted that everything would be clear in due time. This is not one of those series that leaves you guessing about important details and facts for two or three books at a time. I thought Turner handled it brilliantly.

The characters are also fairly vibrant, even the supporting characters. But, my favorite part of the book was learning about their myths and legends. There are several occasions, as Gen's group is traveling where they sit beside the fire and tell legends and stories of the God's and the creation of the world. I've always been fascinated by mythology, and I loved Turner's versions of those myths. Most were similar to the Greek legends, and it's clear that Turner borrowed from them, but the myths do not feel stolen. They feel created. I could easily believe that these were genuine legends believed and honored by people thousands of years old.

I'm anxious to read the next books in the series. Not because I'm desperate to know what happens next because the author left us with a huge cliffhanger, because there isn't one. The Thief could easily be a story all it's own. This storyline is finished and although it is clear there is more to life for these characters than that which we have seen, this story is finished, and could easily be read on it's own and then left. But, I'm eager to read the remaining books in the series because the writing was beautiful, the characters engaging and the world is a treat to be in. I'd definitely recommend picking up this book. It's probably right close to the border between MG and YA, so it's just fine for younger readers, but there's enough to the story that older teens and even adults can enjoy it too.

(May contain spoilers)
If you like decent or fresh world-building in a fantasy novel, give this one a try. It's not overbearing world-building like Tolkein, but it's obvious that the novel's setting is based on Greece, with a fluid 1400s-to-1600s-ish level of technology. At the same time, it doesn't feel like the author lifted Greek landscapes, culture, and mythology wholesale and stuffed it into her novel. Turner creates a setting with a solid sense of place in fantasy that's definitely a refreshing change from the generic dark ages Northwest-European-inspired stuff that I've often read.

The author also establishes a great main character. Gen is a witty and dashing thief who knows how to get the audience on his side. He has a good heart, but he also has some very realistic flaws, and the reader soon realizes that he's not the most trustworthy story teller*. He also ends up being the butt of other characters' mocking, sometimes unjustly, and sometimes deservedly so. Other fantasy writers fumble with their overly-charming and perfect heroes, never letting anyone get the upper-hand of their darling. But Turner does a great job of making Gen imperfect, which makes him all the more compelling. And he's not the only one. I finished the novel impressed by all of Turners characters.

The Thief is a shorter read, so high-fantasy buffs will likely not be impressed, and it's aimed at young adults (I think), but it's by no means a fluffy fantasy. It's swift and strong, like river rapids, and I was entertained all the way through. I haven't enjoyed a fantasy novel like this in a long time, and I hope you'll like it too.

*Part of this could be a narrative issue. It's in first-person, with Gen seemingly unaware that he's telling the story to us, so it doesn't really make sense for him to hide key information from us until the novel's end. I didn't mind, because it made for a great dramatic reveal in my opinion, but it may rub some readers the wrong way. Just a thought.

I've recommend this book to every one of my friends.
I've read is probably a dozen times, and I notice something new every time. Megan Whalen Turner's world is rich and well-researched. (For instance, the magus mentions that Gen always drops the H's at the beginnings of his words. Did you know that word-initial h deletion was an actual sound change that took place in Ancient Greece?)
Her characters are and the witty interactions between them are deliciously complex and they are always at the center of her plots. The plots are subtle and unpredictable and every book in the series follows a different path.
My friends and I still discuss and reference these books years later.

With so many books now days centered around teen angst and paranormal romance it is easy to forget that books can be quite enjoyable without these things. This book is one of those rare finds that have none of these popular subjects and stands out in the crowd of books.
I have to thank my friend T for introducing me to these books. This one is without a doubt a fun and engaging read. I felt that all the characters were important and every event was needed. The myths that were involved were different and ones that I have never heard of before. Usually while reading a mystery type book I try to find out the big surprise, but with this one I just sat back and enjoyed the story. I will definitely pick up the next book in the series

One of the greatest books I've ever read, probably my favorite book ever, and the reason I have a soft spot for thief characters, or hate them if they don't measure up. I read a lot of books, but the only reason I know about this one is because we read it for class in middle school. I still remembered it several years later, and still enjoy it, reading it over and over again. I recently got up the nerve to read the other books in the series, afraid that they wouldn't measure up, and the rest of them are just as super awesome. Megan Whalen Turner is a master of storytelling, weaving a world that she makes come across as real and rich as our own, and filling it with lovable, despicable, and realistic, three-dimensional characters. If you've managed to stumble across this masterpiece, I can not recommend it enough. Eugenides's cocky attitude is just awesome, and the story is fun to read coming from his point of view.

The Clever and the Quick
The leave you hanging book The Thief by Megan W. Turrner should be a favorite book of all ages. It?s about a clever thief who lands himself in jail by his bragging. The king asks the court magus if he could use Gen (the thief) as a tool to find the Hamathies?s gift, So Gen can bee freed, And the magus, Sophos, Amiadeos, and Pol can be rewarded. queen. The Thief an adventurous book of quick wit and trust. It is a recommended book of taste and opinions from the characters to the readers. When there is talk about a strange unknown artifact, characters tell the myth after that.
A reason people might not agree with the given explanation is because the book does not capture the readers? attention in the beginning. Or the reader might not understand what the characters are talking about. (But of course the myths explain it all practically. But read this over the edge book?s first two pages and see why most people do and will like it.

I bought this book because the cover art intrigued me. I finished it quickly and ordered the next two.

Gen is a great character that you really like and empathize with. This is the only one of the trilogy told in first person and Gen's POV is so unique, but also inclusive, you feel like you're part of the story.

I love Turner's use of humor and how she doesn't shy away from difficult subjects (death of featured characters). There are a lot of surprises and, since you'll want to go back and read it again, you'll see they're well-founded and foreshadowed. Keep your eyes open and read every word!

I recommend this book for new purchase because you'll want it as a part of your at-home library.

I simply loved The Thief! At first, it didn't appeal to me, but it simply grabbed me and pulled me in. Time flew by and I didn't know how hooked I was to the book. I recommend this book for children 11 or older because since some parts invovle Greece places and gods, it can get a little confusing.

The Thief is about a boy named Gen, who is in the king's prison. All he's thinking is, "I can't wait to get out of here" kinda thing, yet the magus one day pulls him out for a search for the sacred Hammarubi's Gift. Gen really doesn't know how big his adventure is until he's in the middle of it all. I personally think it's a must-read. It's a nice fiction book but it includes geographical and historical information. I love it!

The thief by Megan Whalen Turner is a book about a time long ago. It is about a thief who gets caught after bragging about his theft in public rotting in jail until the magus comes. The magus got Gen out of jail for only a secret quest. He had to steal something from a temple in Attolia without getting caught by the queen. The temple was underwater and the water only washed out for 4 days a year. They arrived at the place where the temple is and found out that they were 1 day late. They only had three days to look throughout the temple and try to find it and on the last day when the water starts to pool back into the temple something happens. I think overall the book is pretty interesting and I stayed interested throughout the whole thing. I really liked the detail and enjoyed the plot.

'The Thief' is the story of a young person named Gen who is a well-known thief, and very much a braggart about it. Gen is released from jail by the king's scholar, the magus, and is told that if he can steal one thing for the magus, he will be permanently taken out of jail. Gen claims he can steal anything, but when he finds out he must steal the mythical stone from an underground temple in which no one knows if it truly exists, it seems less hopeful. Along with the magus, two other boys, and a soldier, Gen tries his best to make a journey that may be his victory... or his fate.
'The Thief' was a page-turner as well as an extremely original book. Megan Whalen Turner has woven a story of her own, and I certainly recommend to all.

I had a hard time trying to decide how to rate and review this book. I rated it 3*s but would probably give it 3 1/2 if possibe.

This book is hard to review because some of the issues that I had with it are resolved in the end which I don't want to give away. I found Gen kind of bratty and annoying in the beginning but he grew on me by the end of the book. The perspective of the book is different and interesting, but is another thing that I can't really say more without giving a way an important plot point.

The main thing that this book was missing for me was more world building. The reader is plopped right into the middle of this world and there is no real explanation of the various contries and the current cultural and political situation. There are only glimpses of the world through Gen's eyes and the reader is expected to figure this out as they go along. While this can work great is some books, I think this book could have used more background.

The next book in this series is supposed to be very good so I will read it soon.

The story was pretty slow the first half of the book although it picked up after awhile. Unfortunately Gen was really annoying all throughout the book, and that detracted from the journey a lot. I'm not sure the ending justifies the amount of annoyance there was.

Throughout the book are sprinklings of stories of a creation myth which is based on the Greek creation myths which were interesting. I liked that they were put in there to give more flavor to the world.

I think I will still read the next book to see what happens as the ending leaves some interesting possibilities for the next one even if this one had annoying moments.

One very interesting point about this book, and I admire the author for pulling it off, is that Gen as a character can appeal to a wide variety of ages. Somehow, the author has written Gen in such a way that you can read whatever age onto him that you want. I know people who thought Gen was as young as twelve or thirteen, and others who thought that he was closer to twenty. It's a very interesting tactic, I don't know if it was deliberate on the part of the author, but it certainly increases the possible audience for the book. I know as a child and teen I preferred books with characters my own age, or slightly older, and I don't think this is uncommon. With this book, Gen can be the age of the reader, whether the reader is 12 or 20. Check it out.

Im my opinion the book does not get good until chapter 8.But once it is in chapter eight it gets pretty good. It is about a thief in prison named Gen caught stealing the king's seal.Then the king's magus promises to free him if he comes on an expedition with him to steal Hamiathe's gift.It goes on for a while about there travel wich I think is rather dull but then it gets exciting with occasional fighting and alof of theft.I rated this book only three stars simply because I am a kid and I just personally didn't enjoy the first half of the book.Once I got into the book though it was definately good.Infact I actually believe this book deserves four stars. Im just being brutally honest.

I'd never heard of THE THIEF or Megan Whalen Turner up until about two months ago, and now I can't understand why not, since I consider myself to be a connosu--okay, well, I can't spell that word. Anyway, my point is that this is book is really 100% awesome, and I don't know how I could not have heard of it earlier. THE THIEF is definitely one of the best books I've ever read, right up there with THE GOLDEN COMPASS and PRIDE & PREJUDICE, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone old enough to enjoy an excellent story.
It starts out with the thief Gen imprisioned in the dungeouns of Sounis, all as a result of his rash boast of being able to "steal anything." However, he doesn't stay there for all that long before being released by non other than the King's magus. The King of Sounis desperately wants a certain something, and Gen is the only person who would be able to get it, thus doing what many have attempted, but none achieved.
That, my friends, is all which I can honorably disclose without letting too much of the cat out of the bag, and you will simply have to read this book for yourself to know how everything turns out. I guarentee you will be quite surprised, as I was, since in this single book Turner proves to be qute adept at twisting plots.
Happy reading!

As a child I used to go to the library every week and check out an armload of books, and basically devour any young adult fiction I could get my hands on. I still remember seeing this book for the first time in the children's new book section, and since I was intrigued by the stoic face on the front cover, I finally gave in and checked it out. Then, this became the book my mom had to buy for me, and that I then had to read probably thirty or forty different times as a child. I spent many happy days in summer in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest pretending to be off on adventures with Gen and the Magus, since Turner's characterization had made them so real for me. Now I'm a lot older and have traveled to many places myself, but I still fondly recall this story and Turner's fantastic storytelling. It will definitely be one of the books I make sure is on the bookshelf for my own children read!

This is an incredible book!!!! All two hundred and nineteen pages kept me mesmerized, which is something only Jane Austin and Louise Rennison have previously done. As the book jacket says, "Megan Whalen Turner weaves Gen's stories and Gen's story together with style and verve in a novel that is filled with intrigue, adventure, and surprise." The intrigue is supplied by the feud between the magus's apprentice and Gen, adventure fills the entire novel, and as for surprise, the ending heavily supplies that. The myths are entertaining, and when the mood gets a little too heavy, Gen's dry humor lightens things up. He is, in his own words, a very well behaved hammer.

I don't enjoy most "built worlds" books- stories that create worlds and rules you have to keep track of. Not this one. I love this book. Is it slow? No. Does it take time to "get into"? No! Holy cats, read this book.

THE THIEF, by Megan Whalen Turner, has all the elements of a perfect story. A great, smart, funny main character, excellent side characters (I particularly liked the magus's development, though of course Sophos was the nicest) and a good plot, involving a masterwork of original mythology, albeit mythology that has roots deep down (deeeeeeeep down) in Greek myths. As an additional (but unfortunately rather rare) bonus, Turner can write. She can write very well. So why was so much of this book so boring?

I understand that this is a character-driven novel, as all good fiction is. I understand that there must be time allotted to character development. But that doesn't mean that half the book should be taken up with Gen's, Sophos's, Ambiades's, Pol's, and the magus's journey through the wilderness as we learn to like them, in a begrudging sort of way. (Well, Sophos is likable, but the magus's transformation-without-a-transformation -- in other words, the shift in how Gen begins to see him -- is truly remarkable.) If the story had begun with Gen's bragging, and him stealing the seal, and being thrown in prison -- maybe then Turner could have added on the pages she needed for a full-length novel and still been able to delete the chapters upon chapters of boredom. Or maybe a gang of robbers could have attacked them on the road and carried off Sophos, developing HIS character and forcing the others to rescue him. There were so many opportunities there, but worse, it was simply boring. Brilliant writing won't get you anywhere without action in the story -- action besides Gen exchanging witty blows with Ambiades and falling off his horse yet again.

It was a good story, and I'll certainly be reading THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA and THE KING OF ATTOLIA, but it would have been nice if there were a bit more action.

Rating: Very Good

There are swordfights, rough journeys, convoluted escapes, betrayals, new friendships, kings, queens, thieves, and soldiers; everything a good adventure needs. I found this book for the first time in fourth grade and I still take it out and read it today. I love how complete and full the characters are. They have stories and feelings and they grow even more as the tale continues. There are surprises all throughout the book too. Things go fine and according to plan, then "Shazam!", it all goes haywire. I appreciate the mystical elements that are central to the story and made real for the characters. I think it's cool when the stories they tell about their gods as they travel turn out true and they get more attention from the divinities than they would like. The ending was spectacular and surprising, and it really brings all the clues together into a beautiful whole.

My initial impression of this book was pretty good. I liked that the author uses good vocabulary (words such as agora, megaron) which I think would be great for younger readers. However, I thought the first 60 pages or so of the book to be quite boring. It mostly has to due with traveling the countryside, but I personally thought there wasn't enough information given to have any anticipation of the events in the story.

The main characters are three boys (including the title's thief), a soldier and a magus. Although I thought the constantly changing relationship of the three boys to be kind of interesting, I felt the story was hindered by the exclusion of any female character. I tend to gravitate to the female characters of the story and sometimes during The Thief I felt like I wasn't connecting as much as I could to the main characters. In the end this changes but sadly, it wasn't soon enough for me.

Many readers will enjoy the twist ending as did I. Based on the ending alone and how the novel leaves off, I could see myself reading the sequel The Queen of Attolia but perhaps from the library. However, I do recognize that this book would probably be very popular with younger audiences. It's clever, well written, and the characters deal with relevant issues (such as bullying). I recommend this to anyone who find the premise especially interesting, or for youngsters who are looking for a fun, quick read with a surprise ending.

While The Thief is marketed as a children's book it is, like other really good children's books, well worth reading by adults. The background is a fictitious world very loosely modeled on ancient Greece (with renaissance technology). The central character is interesting and well drawn. The plot ends with a twist that makes perfectly good sense, that neither I nor anyone else I know of who read the book anticipated, and that makes the whole story come together as a consistent whole.
My one criticism of the book is the behavior of the Magus, one of the main characters. He believes he has located a valuable and politically important artifact hidden in territory controlled by a ruler unfriendly to his own, and wishes to obtain it on behalf of his king. To do so he requires the service of a thief, so he liberates Gen, the central character, from the king's prison, and sets off with him and three other people to steal the artifact.
This raises a problem. Gen has no reason to be loyal to either the Magus or his king. The king has told Gen that if he runs away instead of cooperating, an enormous reward will be offered for his capture. But Gen, from everything the king and the Magus know, is boastful, cocky, and rash; he got into prison by publicly announcing that he was going to steal the king's seal ring, and doing it. So there is little reason for either the king or the Magus to expect the threat to work.
The obvious solution is to appeal to Gen's vanity--what the Magus is proposing, after all, is a theft even more impressive than the one that got Gen imprisoned. Instead the Magus goes out of his way to treat Gen as a person of no importance, describe him as a tool, announce that the Magus himself intends to take the credit for the theft --do practically everything he can think of to make Gen an enemy rather than an ally. Given that he plans to travel with Gen through hostile territory where controlling him by force and threats will be extraordinarily difficult, that is simply stupid. Yet the Magus is otherwise portrayed as a reasonable and intelligent person. The only explanation I can think of is that the Magus's behavior was necessary for the plot, even though inconsistent with his character.
That one point aside, it is a very good story.

The Thief was an enjoyable read. This book was read aloud to out class. At first I didn't expect to like the book, but by the end of the book my opinion had changed. Now I want to read all the sequels.

It had a bit of a slow beginning, but was soon attacked by humor. By the first quarter of the book, you want to read more and more. It goes from a page `churner' to a page turner.

The main character is Gen, a young, cocky, imprisoned thief with an attitude. The Magus is the leader of the expedition, and very high-ranked in the kingdom. Pol is a solemn soldier. Sophus and Ambeads are two young apprentices to the Magus.

The story starts with Gen in the kingdom's prison. He got there by bragging that he could steal anything. He is soon released to go with the Magus on a journey to steal Hamiathe's Gift, a gift from the `gods'. Most of the book is set with them traveling.

The setting of this book is in a non-existing country, in medieval times, with kingdoms, some at war.

This book is filled with TONS of twists and turns, humor, action, adventure, and enjoyment. But you have to read this book twice to get everything; there are lots of things you read in the book that you would discard, but they will come up later. Overall, I am glad I read this and I think many others could too.

Gen is a young arrogant thief who is captured in the king's treasury. To save his life he must help the king's Magus steal a magical stone that makes its possessor almost invincible. Along with Gen and the Magus go Ambiades and Sophos, the Magus' aristocratic apprentices, and Pol, a soldier. As they travel in secrecy across enemy land, they must learn to overlook their prejudices and rely on one another.
This is an exciting and moving tale about trickery, loyalty, and friendship. Gen is an engaging character, whom I would love to know. More than once I (21 when I read it the first time) found myself in tears over the way Gen was treated or the events in the book.

When I first started reading this book I thought it would be a pretty typical rags-to-riches story. You know the kind, where some poor but deserving hero manages to pull off great feats and is rewarded with piles of gold, a castle or two and a beautiful maiden. Well, that didn't happen.

Gen, the thief with the big mouth, does what thieves do best: He lies, cheats and steals. Then, for the sake of the readers, Gen produces a surprise ending that will leave you smirking in a way very similar to Gen's smirks. Who'd'u've thunk it?

If you like clever characters with more up their sleeves than their arms, this book is for you. Keep your eyes on the thief and enjoy the book!

You might also want to look up the sequels to this book: The Queen of Attolia (book 2) and The King of Attolia (book 3). Gen has many tricks up his sleeves in those books too and will always keep you guessing.

With memorable characters and plenty of heart, the Queen's Thief books are fun and entertaining!

This is definitely one of the better books I have read in my lifetime. It is peppered liberally with humor, the characters are believable and loveable, from the magus's high-handed manner, to Sophos's naivete, to Pol's indifference to the whole quest. Gen is humorous, believable, and the reader deeply feels his embarrasments and triumphs throughout the book.
Turner has created a realistic fantasy world that is believable in it's completeness. Her world has it's own history, religion, and government. I believe that Turner can be compared to Anne McCaffrey in her ability to create an entirely different world that we can still identify with.

The Thief is simply a truly wonderful novel. At times funny, at others touching, it leaves you feeling complete when you put it down - and itching to grab 'The Queen of Attolia,' Turner's outstanding sequel!
The characters are different from what one would expect in a book of this genre, but none the less very fufilling. The Magnus is loyal to his pig-headed king, but over time he realizes that he cares for Gen. Gen himself, the lead character, is truly engaging and witty. You will find him held close to your heart before you know it. The only dissapointment that I can think of is simply that Turner has shone no interest in continuing this series - or anything at all!

This is Gen's story. He's a thief...and full of surprises. When the king's magus (wise man) thinks he knows the location of a rock of legend made by the gods, he gets Gen out of prison to help him steal it. Gen's first person account takes you through his long journey to get to the hidden temple of the gods, to heal from his months in prison, and to make the theft of his life. Interesting tale. I really liked it.

I liked it. It was very creatively written, and I loved the twist. I expected something, definitely suspected that the Magus had not, in fact, lost the Gift, but didn’t suspect what the reasons were behind Eugenides’s imprisonment and stuff.
Very clever. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

I couldn't put this book down. Gen is just too adorable since the beginning that I can't leave him for a second. He says things that actually made me chuckle, and I love the phrase "gods damn."

However, there's something that's bugging me. I feel like the author is cheating the readers by eliminating some information. The part where the magus loses the stone, for example. I always knew it's somehow safely in Gen's hands. Gen sounds like he's avoiding telling the truth--which actually gives out everything--and since he's the narrator of the book and it's his thoughts we're reading, I simply can't get over the way some of his thoughts are eliminated. In addition, the ending is a bit too explanatory/conclusive/conventional, in my opinion.

Nevertheless, it's still a good book. :)

Someone mentioned a sequel? It makes me happy. :D

This is a story full of adventure, roalty, laughs, romance (just kidding). It is about a boy, who is a prisoner who is asked to find a stone that can only be given to a royal person for it to work its powers. The magic it has is that it will allow the royal holder to not die in battle. The reason I rate it a 4 is because it can becomes somewhat boring, but more so entriging at times, but then it says one thing that is interesting, and you can't stop reading from then on. You HAVE to read this book, if you're willing to get hooked on a great author. Go Read This Book!!!!!

The Thief and the rest of the Attolia series stand up well against most adult fantasy. The characters are appealing; their dilemmas are complex. And yes, they're adults, even if there are strong coming-of-age elements.

The first book -- The Thief -- is a quest story, with several of the quest members having secrets or secret identities revealed before the end. The sequels are more about politics and war, in three neighboring kingdoms. All have big reveals.

If you like rogue characters and fantasies, there's an excellent chance you'll enjoy these books.

I was a bit surprised when I started reading this that it was from the POV of a young man - not sure why, but I just assumed it was a young woman. Full of adventure, political intrigue, and mythology, The Thief is a fantastic start to a trilogy I'm dying to read more of.

Final Verdict: Highly recommend picking this one up if you want a story filled with adventure, mythology and a surprising end. I'd recommend this book as 6th grade and up.

This book is great! Gen says he can steal anything, but can he steal the special stone that, after it was lost, no one knew the whereabouts of--until now? Gen is stubborn, witty and determined not only to fetch the stone from its hiding place, but to also be treated as more than just a tool used in the King's service. As he wends his way towards his treasure, not knowing what adventures would come and not even knowing for sure where he was going, Gen learns more about his companions (though he, at first he never thought them friends enough to call them companions) through the stories they all tell of the old gods. These, stories, I think are the best part of the book, for they are myths that could, in real life, have been myths. They also add some color to their travels. Piece by piece the story is put together, and all the missing pieces are put in place. Mysteries are solved, and surprises you might never have guessed sneak up on you.

I am continually surprised that Turner is not as famous as Rowling or Funke or Le Guin. She should be. I have recommended this series to every one of my friends with children aged 10 and up, even to complete strangers I found browsing in the Young Adult section at the bookstore. None had ever heard of it before. All the friends (I can't make assumptions about the strangers) have praised it.

Young readers have so many great fantasy series to choose from these days. Potter and Earthsea and Percy Jackson and Tiffany Aching and more. And most of them can be appreciated by kids of both sexes, unlike the sci-fi of my generation. Still, this series really stands out. We read all three books aloud to our kids and they just want more.

Besides the excellent pacing, the rich backstory, the believable characters, and the strong storyline, there is an element that the other series lack: extreme restraint in the use of magic and "deus ex machina" plot elements. These are books about scheming and intrigue and politics and strategy rather than about the fantastic things one can do with a wand or the hidden world behind a door. The world is not ours, but it is much more like ours than Inkworld or Discworld.

Read these books to your kids. They'll love it and so will you.

The Thief
With cool characters, intriguing plot, and a descriptive setting, this is one of the best books I have ever read. Turner is very descriptive in her book, and gives you a clear image in your head. This book has an interesting setting. It is back in the age of thieves in an ancient country, such as Greece. The plot keeps you coming back for more. The thief, named Eugenidies, nicknamed Gen, is retrieved from jail where he has been imprisoned for stealing the Kings's seal by the Magus. Accompanied by a soldier and and two apprentices, they began an adventure to find Hamiathes's Gift. The plot unfolds gradually. Unexpected plot turns are around every corner, such as when Gen gets captured by the beautiful but sinister Queen of Attolia. One memorable moment was when Gen was in the temple with Hamiathes's Gift. In order to find it, Gen had to break through thick glass. After he did that, there was a short stairway to the Gift. Once he got there, there were strange God-like creatures that apparently lived up there without food or water. I still don't understand that part. If I had to rate this book on a scale of ten, I would give it a 9. The beginning and middle are very interesting. You can't put it down. The beginning pulls you right in with an interesting start. It begins while Gen is in jail. Other than that, this is a very original and interesting book.Why not ten, then? The end is confusing and sketchy. I had to reread it in order to understand it. Other than that, this is a very original and interesting book.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, is a pretty unique book. Like most YA it is written in 1st person perspective, and of course the protagonist is a young person. What sets it apart, however, is that Turner plays some pretty slick tricks on her readers and keeps us in the dark regarding a lot of what the protagonist is doing. She does this by jumping over scenes of high tension or action and then having the protagonist relate what happened later- after the fact.

So the truth about the protagonist and the major things he does throughout the book are played pretty close to the chest. This is both good and bad. It's good because there are, ostensibly, some surprises throughout the book. I say ostensibly because it's pretty clear what the major twists in the book are going to be. It's bad, because, well, it feels artificial.

The Book Thief starts with the main character, Gen, in the king's dungeons. Apparently he boasted that he could steal anything, then went and stole something from the king. He was arrested, tried in public, and tossed into the prison. He doesn't seem to be making much of an effort to escape from the prison/dungeon, which seems a little odd for an intrepid thief.

Gen is sprung from the slammer by the king's magus. The magus is the king's faithful and number one adviser. The magus is taking his two apprentices and a soldier, and now Gen, on a surreptitious journey to find and steal a certain object that either endows the power of rule or the privilege of rule of the next country over.

So the story follows Gen and this group during their journey. Gen is a snarky lad of indeterminate age. He definitely thinks he's smarter than everyone else and is often riling up the others in the party. These conflicts keep the tension in the book at a fairly engaging level.

Turner's world is nicely realized and is clearly based on Greece's geography, culture and sort of ancient mythology. Her writing is adept and confident.

I just didn't like Gen. It's not because he wasn't interesting. He just didn't seem like a real person. Would a person really be that awful to those around him all the time? And why should I like a person who seems incurably selfish? Only at the very end of the novel did I feel like Gen wasn't using others for his own purposes, manipulating etc. Of course, this is just my take, but I never really felt emotionally interested in Gen's story.

So I'm concerned about why this book won a Newberry Honor. Is it because it is so uniquely written, with an unusual voice? Surely there were other books published that year that told a story with sympathetic characters in a fully realized world with lovely prose.

In the end, the book isn't bad. It's just that I've always enjoyed stories that are driven by characters who seem like real people. These characters felt like artificial constructs that acted a certain way so that the book could be unique.

The Thief is an interesting experiment, but I don't think I'll return to the world that Turner created.

I remind you that I don't like the Beatles. I recognize their ability, artistry and popularity. I don't like them. Like I don't like avocados. Basically, this may come down to taste, and you might not be able to trust my taste. Also, it's a certainty that a mid-thirties, male, book-reviewer/author is not the target audience of this book.

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 pens.

If it was not the case that the weight of this book was at the very end, I would have given the book four stars, instead of only three. The author focuses too much on the eating and sleeping habits of the main character throughout the book, sacrificing the quality of dialogue and character development. The only reason I continued reading the book was my hope that there was more to this whiny main character...that paid off.

The unabridged audio version read by Jeff Woodman would be great listening for the whole family on those vacation drives. Four companions thrown together by strange circumstances set out on an adventure to find a legendary stone. Their relationship develops through their mutual experiences. The story is exciting with a surprising finish. Jeff Woodman is the premier narrator of books about young people and he does justice to Megan Turner's book. I hope we see more books from Ms. Turner soon.

The whole series is some of the finest writing I've read. Worthy of any adult book club. Not a wasted word anywhere. I was so blown away when I finished The Thief that I immediately returned to page 1 to re-read it for everything I had missed. Wonderfully crafted writing. And the books keep getting better as you go. Queen of Attolia is better than The Thief, and King is better than Queen (or maybe they're tied).

I had high expectations for this book after all the high reviews. Unfortunately it did not live up them. I didn't hate the book but it didn't sweep me away either. The characters and the last part of the story is what I enjoyed best. I least enjoyed the monotonous journey that they took. It seemed to take forever for them to get from point A to point B. The only reason (it seemed) for this long journey was for character development. But nothing much really seemed to happen around this time and I found myself very bored.
Not sure if I'll read the 2nd book or not. I might but it will probably be a while before I do.

I enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. Not only did it have a very charismatic lead character, but the supporting characters were given a personality of their own, while still maintaining a sense of setting through out the entire story. The brief summary would be the main character, a thief, who is the "greatest of all thieves" had been caught after showing off the kings seal in a wine shop after stealing it. He was given the option of being able to leave the prsion of he could steal the greatest treasure of all (which he wasn't told what it was), and if not he would be sentenced to death. he grew to know the people around him on his journey and ended up befreinding them. His cocky and seperated attitude from society made him a memorable character.

The story relied greatly on cultural background and religous as well. This came into play near the end of the story when he encountered a god himself! He was given the crown of Atollia which was the spoils of his adventure. Since it was fortold that only the next King of Atollia himself could find it, making him King. It was a great journey to follow him through the Greek lands and all their beauty. The Theme behind the story could be that believing in your cultural past is more important than yourself; The Greater good is more important than the individual, and by doing so you can reap the rewards of a faithful man/women.

READ THIS BOOK!

I was so impressed when I read this book! It is so unique! I never REALLY knew what was coming, although I sometimes thought I did. It's just a really great read. I consumed the entire series in a week. Not because I read quickly, but because I just couldn't stop reading.
Highly recommended.

This was an interesting story. I really liked the characters and the premise of the story. The first part of their journey seem a little long and tedious. This book has a lot of twists that keep it interesting but sometimes confusing. I'm curious to see what is next.

In the book The Thief, written by Megan Whalen Turner, is a book about a thief named Gen. He got caught stealing the kings seal and was put in jail. He is released but he has to find and steal an ancient treasure for the king's Magus. But Gen has a few plans of his own. Gen was a wine thief, Magus was a scholar of the king, and Pol was a guard to keep track of Gen.

The theme of this story is not to let snobs push you around. Gen thought the king was just using him as a tool so he shows him what for. This is a good book to read because it has a lot of adventure and it really kept the pages turning. I highly recommend it for people in middle schools.

A skilled thief is taken out of his prison cell and assigned to steal a legendary gemstone. If he agrees to steal this gemstone he will be given his freedom. The king's magus chooses this intelligent thief to accompany him in this quest to recover the gemstone, Hamiathes's Gift that is in a stone temple that is very treacherous. The journey at first is fraught more with psychic than physical danger: The magus and the other king's men on the journey: soldier Pol, aristocrats Sophos, and Ambiades insult and make fun of the thief Gen. They insult him for his profession of choice and low birth, even denying him of proper food and medical care. When Hamiathes's Gift is recovered soldiers from a city they pass attack Gen and Sophos tosses Gen a sword and he fights them off with skill. The magus is also attacked and looses Hamiathes's Gift during the battle. After the enemy soldiers run off the magus panics that Hamithes's Gift is lost. He thinks the enemy might have stolen it. But secretly while the others are searching for the lost gemstone Gen discovers it and hides it from the others. The magus wants to travel to Eddis where the enemy soldiers are located to recover Hamiathes's Gift. That is Gen's hometown and he plans to give Hamithes's Gift to his queen. The novel is filled with exciting situations and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who just wants to have a bit of adventure in their life.

I decided to write a review, and not give out all kinds of information on the story.
This book was unexpectedly good, I don't even remember when or why I picked it up but I found it the other day and read through it. Plot was very interesting and descriptions in this book are beautiful. I read through the beginning of the book at a slower pace and by midway through I could not put the book down. Excellent kind of fantasy novel without having dragons and all the cliche things your used to. I am definitely going to read the next book in the series.

After Instead of Three Wishes, I impatiently waited for another from Turner. It was worth it. The Thief is all I could wish for. Peeling away the layers, I was captivated with each piece of the truth that Turner and Gen calculatingly or reluctantly offered up. By the end, I couldn't wait to read it again--this time, out loud to my then-six-year-old. It remains one of our favorite books of all times.
The Thief is beautifully, carefully and lovingly written, with every phrase working to carry the story and shape the characters. Not a word is wasted--from Gen in his cell, studying his feet in the air above him, until the final moments (I'll reveal no secrets here!). It is clear that Turner loves her stories and works diligently to put them out there for us to love as well. I thank you, Megan. Keep writing! Abbie and I are waiting.

The Thief is written in the view of a young thief named Eugenides. He was in fact, the Queen's Thief of Eddis, one of three neighboring countries. The story begins where Gen (Eugenides) is in the King of Sounis's prison. The King's advisor, the magus, then takes him out of prison in order to force Gen to steal something for him. Hamiathes's gift, which is believed believed to be the stone of Immortality. So the magus, Gen, and three others go on an expedition across all three countries to find the hidden location of Hamiathes's gift, where true loyalty is found.

I've always loved this series dearly. I actually read the 3rd one first, fell in love with the characters and writing, and searched desperately for the first.

If you are looking to give a new book a try, please choose this one and you'll be in for a great adventure with all the characters in the series. A really heartfelt one.

I can't really decide between 2 or 3 stars. The beginning of the book was painfully boring, but the second half was much more interesting. This book had the potential to be 5-star, but the writing was flat and lacked any kind of emotion. It read like a history textbook that stated fact after fact after fact instead of inducing feelings of excitement and intrigue in this action packed adventure. Regardless, I'll read the next book in the series since it appears to be much better than the initial installment. *crosses fingers*

I really liked this book a lot. I read it for Battle of the Books. At the beggining I was a little apprehensive because it didn't sound very good, but after the first chapter or two I had a keen interest for the story that was unfolding. This theif is able to out whitt everyone, and although he seems to have the biggest disadvantage of everyone, he manages to pull it off with suprising turns at the end.

The Thief isn't the type of book that hooks you so that you know you are hooked. You pick it up, and when you get to the middle a couple of hours later, you think, "Where did the time go?" and you are still loathe to put it down.

When Gen is languishing inside the Sounisian prison, thinking, "When am I ever going to get out of here?" he gets out by promising to help the king's scholar find a stone that will convince the queen of a neighboring country to marry him. The Magus (king's scholar), Gen, and three others set off on a journey to find said stone. On the way, Gen is irritating, brash, and sometimes loveable, but always mischievous.

I won't tell you the ending, but I will say that it surprised me very much. I liked that. Also, I liked that the author successfully wrote in a masculine voice. Not many female authors even try to do that.

The beginning lacks action and has a few too many info dumps--but the characters are engaging enough to push through that. The second half really picks up--not only in action, but by then, you're totally immersed in the character's well-being. Even if you skim the first few chapters, the book is definitely worth a read. It's clever, with unexpected twists and fun challenges.

The Thief is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Gen, a common thief, brags in a wine shop that he could steal the king's seal ring. When he steals the ring he is arrested. The Magus, the king of Sounis' scholar, tells him that if he steals a stone and gives it to the king of Sounis he will be released. Who ever possesses the stone is the rightful ruler of Eddis, the neighboring kingdom. Eddis is high in the mountains. It controls the only pass from Sounis to Attolia. So if Sounis controls Eddis he can send an army through Eddis to conquer Attolia. Gen, the Magus, and 3 others spend many days crossing Eddis into Attolia for Gen to steal the stone. When they reach their destination, the river miraculously drains out leaving an opening in the cliff. Gen has 3 nights to recover the stone. At the end of each night the temple fills up with water and on the third night Gen steals the stone which is Hamiathes' gift. Chased by Attolian soldiers at every turn they make their way to Eddis. In Eddis there is a surprise ending. I highly recommend this great book. By Mason, age 10.

This series is among the best fantasy I've read. The plot twists nicely over the 4 book series; the characters interact and develop nicely, with enough of the darker side to hold adult interest. The writing is highly competent. This series is actually smarter and better written than the Harry Potter series (yes, I did like that series as well). Appropriate for any age reader.

It all starts when Gen the thief tells the kingdom of Sounis he can steal anything. To prove himself right he steals the king's seal, and then goes to brag about it in a wineshop. Soon after he is caught and thrown in the dungeon and kept there until the Magus (Sounis's most trusted advisor) wants to use him to steal something. Along with the Magus, his apprentices Ambiades and Sophos, and the soldier Pol, Gen goes on an adventure over the mountains of Eddis to the kingdom of Attolia to steal something that is said to be a myth. The Magus treats Gen like a prized tool, Ambiades treats him like scum, but Gen still manages to add wit to his story that will have you laughing out loud.
The book is good enough to read again and again, but the best time is the first time, because of the ending. You probably will never see it coming, and when all is revealed, it seems like the most clever book in the world.

There is some minor language, but otherwise this book is good for all ages over 8.
Once you read it, don't forget to read the sequel, the Queen of Attolia, which is more for older audiences because it's of a little darker and serious tone.
My sisters and I all are avid readers of fantasy, and we have all agreed that The Thief is one of the best books in the world, likely even the best.
Don't sit around waiting for Harry Potter 7 twiddling your thumbs (2 years of that would put a strain on your hands); read The Thief!

The Thief is one of those books you can't leave at home to patiently wait for you, I had to bring it into work and sneak pages here and there. It's one of those rare books that whispers beautiful secrets to you. the lively story it has to tell is age-old, and speaks of an earlier time.
The grecian history that is borrowed as a background for the book, while being told in the first person sets the stage for a book of discovery and refreshing excitment. The world Ms.Turner creates awakens what we learned in grade school about the ancient greeks, but when told in a devilish and feeling manner, it makes all the old statues and boring God and goddess org charts come to life! I definatly recommend this to adults that are looking to dive into a place that is beautiful, secret, and a little wicked.

Why anyone would ever give this book a good review is beyond me. I picked it up one day, and expected a good read since it had been a Newbery Honor Book. When I read the first page, I found it interesting and kept going. As it went along, the plot simply got harder and harder to follow. It seemed as though the author got so wrapped up in the details she almost forgot about the central plot. I gave this book two stars only because of those almost too-real details. Overall, I didn't think this book was fully worth all the time I put into reading it. Struggling through the sea of words is a labor in itself, let alone trying to follow it!

I definitely was not interested in this book as it began, but I do like to finish what I start.

Around a third of the way through the book (at a significant plot point) I began to be interested. The excitement continued until nearly the end, and the book turned into something retrospective.

I would have liked to have more detail in the descriptions of certain scenes and found myself rereading pages to determine what the writer was saying happened.

All in all though, I will be reading the sequel.

I read this book as a school asignment and at first I thought the plot was a little dull, but near the end the plot became much more interesting. I ended up reading parts over and over about five times sometimes because the author got too detailed. I struggled to read this book because of the very hard words. Reading this with a dictionary would have been much easier.

This is a great book. The main character, Gen, is very likeable, very real, and very funny. The fantasy world the author created is very rich and believable, and filled with realistic history. I disliked the way the authors kept skipping over action scenes and telling them after the fact. (The main character often goes unconscious or falls asleep, and the action scene is retold to him later by the side characters -- not nearly as exciting as reading the scene first hand.) And I hated the way the main character kept secrets from the reader just so there could be a surprise ending. Blah. Let the reader be part of the fun. I felt like I'd missed the party (and been lied to). Otherwise, well worth reading, and I'll definitely read the follow-up books.

I loved this book!! I think the main character, Gen, is so neat because he's like a good guy and a bad guy, all at once! This wonderful book takes place in Ancient Greece and is basicly about how Gen is pulled out of prison to go and steal something (I'm not saying what)and then, a big chunk of the book tells about how Gen and four other men travel across three cities to get to the place where Gen has to steal the something, but there's SOOO much more to it! The only thing I don't like about this book is that they use a few mild bad words, but less than this one PG-rated movie I once saw. This is a very well written, VERY awesome, and over all great book that I'd recomend to everyone in the world!

Gen is a thief, a greatly talented thief, who got caught after steaing the king's seal ring. Amazingly enough, the king's own magus springs him from prison for an incredible journey to seek out and steal Hamiathes' Gift. The magus thinks he will take the Gift home to Sounis, but only Gen knows better.

It was a pretty good book!It got really exciting when Gen had to get the necklase of internial life.Gen was really scared when he first met the Magus,but he got use to him after a few days.At first he was in jail but he got by the Magus.I really liked the suprise ending.

I really enjoy this book. A thief Gen brags he can steal anything- and steals the kings ring. Well, that gets him put in jail for a very long time. When he finally gets taken out of the dungeon, it is for a secret mission. I don't want to spoil anything so I will just say, read the book. There are stories about Greek gods which I find really interesting also.

Having read this book a second time for the shear joy of working my way through a good story, I have finally worked up the nerve to write my first review. This fictional tale is a delicious combination of mystery, adventure, danger, and a narrator with a good dose of sass. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys books like the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, Howl's Moving castle (and anything else by that author), or the Harry Potter books to name a few. Enjoy!

'The Theif' is one of the most captivating books I have read for ages. Megan Whaler Turner does an amazing job with all the characters; the Magus is stern and authoritative but decidedly human and you cannot help but love Eugenides, if only for his sarcasm, quick wit and the singular annoyance he is to absolutely everyone. The twist at the end, you will kick yourself for not spotting but it is so well done that suddenly the whole story falls into light. It is truly beautifully written and so engrossing that I read it straight through once, then flicked back to the beginning and read the whole thing again!! So should you!

At first, I was hesitant about reading the book because it didn't appeal to me. In a moment of extreme boredom and desperation, I finally resorted to reading The Thief. I was astounded at the results and was captivated by the charming Eugenides and the plot and twists of this amazing novel. Eugenides remains to this day my favorite character in any of the many books I have read in my lifetime. It is not just for younger children, either. I have read this book countless times and still enjoy it, although I have gotten a few years older since I first enjoyed the adventures of Eugenides and his companions, and I highly recommend this book to anyone.

This book is amazing! It entirely consumer the reader into the book and its plot! It really takes you there and makes everything so believable. Perhaps the best part is that you can't predict the end, there are so many books that follow the exact same storyline, to the point where you're like obviously this is how it's going to end, and then that's how it ends. This book is sooo not one of those!! It's awesome and you have to read it!!

A fast-paced, cleverly written adventure about a fictionous world and a clever thief, who is George Clooney in Ocean's Eleven or Piers Brosnon in The Thomas Crown Affair. Gen, having been in prison for six months for bragging for being able to steal anything, is released by the King's Magus: the smartest man in the kingdom who is determined to get a legendary stone that he wants Gen to steal. If Gen can fetch the stone, he will be granted his freedom. However, cocky and clever Gen has his own ideas about how this plan is going to work...
The PERFECT novel to read. Exciting and deliciously witty, Whalen Turner keeps us reading as fast as possible. A twist ending awaits in the last pages of the book. When your done with that, you should definitely go pick up the sequel, The Queen of Attolia. -Lia

This story is based upon a boy named Gen who was locked in the kings prison. He claimed he could steal anything. This story is about Gen and his travlers trying to find hympthasis gift; which is a gift from god. This book has moments of laughter, relif and plenty of adventures! you must read!

by mohmad sabha

In The Thief , an accomplished Sounis thief named Gen claims he can steal anything. But when the king's magus hires Gen to steal Hamiathe's Gift, a stone dipped in the waters of immortality, he gets caught in a sticky situation. He will have to betray his true kingdom, Eddis, or his new colleagues.
This book is character & plot driven. Not only does Gen change his thoughts about his soldier father, but there are also some exciting battles & escapes. Therefore, this book is both character & plot driven.
Since I enjoy fantasy books, I ws interested in the author's writing style. Most of the fantasy books I've read aren't in first person, & yet this book is. She also tells the reader a lot of things in very few words. Because of her particular writing style I enjoyed this book a lot.

I stumbled across this book in the library and decided that it might make great vacation reading. Little did I know that I wouldn't be able to put it down. After a marathon read with several twists and turns, I finished the book and found myself looking for the next. I have since listened to it on CD and read the other books. It is great story with a well developed plot and interesting characters. After reading, I really felt the need to go back and read it again to uncover all of the things that I missed the first time.

The Thief was a fairly decent book. At the time your reading it it dosent seem that exciting but, you always want to find out what will happen next. The writing in it is very long-winded and there was a lot of filler. It made it seem like the Author was just trying to stretch out the story to make the book longer. The plot seemed to dissolve at times and stray away from the plot. There was also a twist at the end that didn't make much sense.

The Thief is about a boy named Gen, who at the beginning of the story is in prison. Gen is a theif, apparently the best thif in the world, who's bragging has led to his capture. The story is set in ancient times, mabey somthing like ancient greece. Gen is taken out of prison by the "Kings Magus" whatever that means. He is taken out to go on a long journey to steal somthing for the king. He won't tell him where their going or what their stealing.

This book is appropriate for 6th through 8th graders, but I personally would not reccomend it.

PARTY!!!

Good book, was a little discouraged in the beginning because it was slow, then the whole time I'm wondering if the their was a girl or boy? Finally things started to pick up and make sense. Very good book! Was worth it to finish!

FABULOUS book and the entire series is worth reading. Megan Whalen Turner is a masterful writer and has a gift for subtle twists. Warning: there is a smattering of "language" but I would very highly recommend this series in spite of that. If I and my children had to pick our top ten books ever (a difficult choice), this series would be very much in the top!

Let me start by saying, I'm quite a bit beyond "young adult", and I found The Thief to be delightful.
Turner describes the landscape where the adverturers pass with enough detail that you can taste the dust and feel the warmth of the sun. I gasped in awe as Gen describes his attempts to retrieve the stone in the underground hiding place. I pushed them on as they were being pursued. When Gen snarled at Useless the elder, I knew there wasn't something right on about him.
Please don't pass up this delightful story, if you are over 21 and still enjoy a fantasy adventure.

Set in another world from our own, The Thief is an excellent book about… well, thieves. Gen is an irreverent thief and the best in his profession. He is a called upon to steal the unstealable.

It’s a fabulously entertaining tale but then I have a weakness for rogues of every colour.

What a book! The background was given amazingly well, the characters were captivating, and the end was stunning! I couldn't put the book down, and the myths were terrific. A truely wonderful story, with a plot for all ages.

I was absolutely stunned by the masterful performance of Megan Whalen Turner in this book. The story revolves around Gen, a thief whose talents are commissioned by the king to steal a stone thought to be only a myth by many. Turner's narrative moves seamlessly, and her characters are wonderfully sympathetic and full-fleshed. The power of the book lies in its unexpected ending, but readers will find themselves cheering Gen on long before it. Definitely recommended for anyone (of all ages) who loves a well-crafted story.

i thought it was soooo awesome the beginning = ok but the rest makes up 4 it i dont love the end but i liked the rest of it a lotttttttt ok thats all - just read it u know u want to and everybody else loves it

I was expecting another kids book when I started this, but soon, I realized this was so much more. Turner combines Gen's adventures with her own mythologies to create a masterpiece.
The loyalty, betrayal, politics, magic, and suspence will keep you hooked. The plot has so many twist and turns you will be reading it over and over again to catch all the hints.

It is hard to understand why anyone would object to an imaginary world on the ground that it does not follow the chronological development of our own and includes geography that is clearly inventive and fictional. On this principle, we would have to dismiss almost all literaure except that small category called "historical fiction" whose purpose is to teach history. Even historical fiction makes useful adjustments to history, but THE THIEF cannot be mistaken by a competent reader for historical fiction. The imaginary world it offers is exceptionally impressive, and teaches us much about our own, but is obviously not a textbook on classical antiquity.

This book is great. It is a good book to read for people that dont like reading because you kust cant stop. The part that i didnt like too much is is... well I wont give it away! YOU JUST CANT STOP READING!!!

"The Thief" The plot of this story is when Gen has three nights to find the tresured stone. on his first night he finds there is a maze in the cave. Also when it gets light out of the cave the cave fills with water. On his second night Gen finds an obsidian stone that is big as him.When the cave started to fill with water when trying to steal the stone he barely got out alive.This book has a great deal of description and details included in the journey part of the story with a large amout of secrets to find out by your self.

This book , a Newberry honoree much like Nancy Farmer's A Girl Named Disaster, tells the story of Gen who after being locked up in the King's prison is given a chance to escape by the Magus who wants him to perform one task, to steal Hamiathes' stone, a stone that claims real and not so real powers, or die trying. I read the book in just a couple of hours. It has fast pacing and Gen is an amusing, smart and smart-aleck-y character who has more to him than the reader is led to believe.

This book is very well researched and the plot is well thought out--as well as the main character, but I felt that it was lagging in some places and gave me a bad after taste.

Theres a certain bleakness to this book--and I didn't like how much walking and sleeping and traveling and bathing and eating and monotonous details that took up chapter after chapter. I was shocked to find what seemed like weeks of traveling was only three days in one portion of the book.

Gen is an interesting character--however I was bothered by the fact that there is never really a direct mention of how old he is. I was constantly under the impression he was a boy, but then an adult, and then a boy again.

I finished this book rather disappointed. The plot was an interesting concept, but far too dragged out and, although this is really more of a personal dislike than a real problem with the book I suppose--it had an awful atmosphere to it. I felt depressed the whole way through.

A thief who is in prison gets offered a special job that only a thief can handle, the reward is freedom. He goes on an adventure with some new companions and the rest is for you to find out!
I reccomend this book to young adults and kids who like action, mythology, and fantasy.
A great read!

Wonderful characterization, extremely well plotted (the surprises really are surprising), great mood throughout. Each book in the triology is excellent, but I believe The Thief is the best of the three. I've never read a better fantasy book for young adults (and I've read many).

We agree with the reading level suggesting that the book is meant for young adults starting no earlier then middle school age. This book would be a good read aloud for 5th grade level kids. We felt some events dragged on.

This book was perfect to my expectations. Gen(the thief)and the other characters had very defined personalities. I loved all the twists and turns, and the ending was totally unexpected. Where did Gen ever get so cunning? One thing I've found is it is very hard to describe how wonderful this book is to someone else. I tried and the other person didn't get the feeling of the book at all. You really have to read it to understand.

Loved it! At first i was a little bored, but it quickly became amazing! The ending is explosive! So many twisted that all tied together at the end, it will have you saying, "why didn't i catch that!" Can't wait to read the next one!

Good beginning. Excellent ending. Somewhat long winded and boring middle. Almost gave up on it multiple times. The ending was good enough to have me make the decision to give the second volume a chance.

The book was a little confusing at first, but as it progressed it became more interesting and easier to follow. I would recommend it for those who like to figure out and stay with things. It was worth it.

I really enjoyed it, but was looking for a book to read to a group of 9-11 year olds. The violence in the book was too graphic for this purpose.
It was certainly a page turner! I'd recommend it for 12 ages years and up.

It's not the best book, nor is it the worst. To me, it was slightly above average. Gen was an interesting main character -- even though he has the tendancy to sleep a lot -- and he was my favorite. But plot-wise, this book was a bit lacking. The majority of the time they're walking, and there were only two eventful, worthwhile scenes. Other than that it was pretty mellow and could get a tad boring.

Damn this, damn that, even swears to God.
I don't see how it became honored by Newbery.
I guess I'm damn too prude.

It surely doesn't call for it in all the situations it recalls all its 'damn's. Especially in such a book aimed at elementary kids. The story is good, with a very clever ending turning everything around. But, before I let my kids read it, I would surely get my marker out. The story would be just as good or better without all that!

this is definatly a work of art. The author leads you through an adventure with secret hints and suprizes as you go through the story. I personally have read the book over 30 times. It has been my favorite book ever since I first read it. I highly recomend this book, it and it's sequal, The Queen of Attolia (which is a bit more hard on the stomach) are wonderful.

The Thief is a very good book and I really enjoyed it. It was very interesting and very well-planned out. I liked it because it was set in Greece and I learned about a new place. The character Gen is so fun to read about. He is a great hero and I was so happy to see that there is a sequel to the book too!! If you like adventure and mystery you will love The Thief.

This is possibly the best book I ever read. It remains one of my favorites!
Gen, an imprisoned thief, is recruited by the magus of Sounis as a tool to give Sounis power over the ajoining country Eddis, although some of the characters in the book aren't what they seem... I've reread this book many times and still haven't gotten sick of it. I highly recommend it!

My twelve-year-old sister and i loved this story so much that we each read it twice. The exciting characters, colorful language and twisted ending makes for one of the best stories i have read in a long time. I would hire Gen as a theif any day.

There is no part of this entire series that is not thought out and calculated in its entirity to create a flawless piece of art that is both thrilling and suspenseful. Bravo to Ms. Turner for creating a series that can capture and enthrall people of all ages.

I had different reasons for not taking to this tale. Some reviewers disliked the narrator Gen, calling him a whiner, whereas I found him to be authentic and interesting. His bantering and jockeying with the magus, the soldier and the two other youths on his journey during the first half of the book made for fun reading. His character was flawed, but likeable, and I was ready to root him on his quest to steal an ancient stone not for the political reasons given, but because he welcomed the challenge, even if it meant dying for it.

When the party comes to place where the stone is supposedly hidden, the tale starts to unravel. His description of how he found the stone in a maze hidden in (under? around? beside?) a river had some evocative parts, but he has to go back three times into the river maze, and much of the description remains the same. When he finally does find the stone, it's anticlimactic, and when the magus subsequently loses the stone while attacked by soldiers I found myself thinking, something here doesn't make sense. The fact that Gen was the one who had "stolen" it, not the soldiers, is hidden from the reader until later. Meanwhile, Gen and his companions go on numerous chases through the countryside with soldiers on their tail, and I had no idea why. Two of the party fall off a cliff for no apparent reason, except that one is a bully. The narrator refers to a place called Dystopia, which makes no sense.

The story turns on the revelation that, all along, Gen was actually a "queen's thief" for a land that's different than the one we had been led to believe. So the entire first part, building up his identity as a lowly bragging thief, was all a lie. While I love twists, it made no sense to me that Gen, as a first-person narrator, would conceal this information from the reader. The reversal feels rigged, a convenient way for the author to inject some interest into a flagging tale. I had to wake up 3 times to finish it near the end.

Intriguing plot, well-developed characters, amazing setting--what more can you ask for? I can't believe people have found this book to be "boring"! Nothing could be further from the truth. Pick up this book, it is time well spent.

This is my all time favorite book, hands down. The plot twists coupled with the vivid first person narration makes this an unforgettable book. The author makes it easy to transition into the life of Gem and the fictional world around him. I absolutely guarantee that if you still have a pulse, you will love this book.

Mix magic and Greek gods and a very lively and entertaining little thief, and you have a clever youth book. Sometimes gets hard to follow, but on the whole is an entertaining read, with some clever twists. Ages 11-14

I do NOT recommend Book 2 in the series.

According to Publisher's Weekly, The Thief had a "twinkling jewel of a surprise ending." I hated the ending. It's one thing for the characters to lie to each other, but the author should never lie to the readers. I actually returned this book and demanded a refund. (And that was when I was young and pretty shy about demanding anything.)

I don't understand why so many reviewers gave this such a high rating.

I don't understand what this author was trying to do.
I listened to this story on tape. The description referred to it as happening in "ancient Greece." When I went to the hardcover edition to check a few things, I saw that the reference to "ancient Greece" was removed. I also saw that there was an author's note--which had not been read on the tape. The author's note acknowledged that THE THIEF was set in a made-up land modeled on Greece then it said something like, Yeah, yeah, I know that the printing press and gunpowder hadn't been invented then.
Sorry, but that doesn't make me like this book any better. The implication, by author and publisher and quite a few reviewers, is that giving a character from another time current speech patterns and sensibilities is fun. Whether it's fun or laziness is debatable when we're talking about books for adults. When we're talking about books for young people, how can it be anything besides confusing? Megan Whalen Turner appears to have worked very hard to make the reader believe that her imaginary land of Sounis is just another of the Greek city-states. Then she throws in references to encyclopedias, guns, garlic-hating vampires, and units of time such as minutes and a quarter of an hour (timed by Gen's Rolex, one can only presume). I believe this is a terrible disservice to young readers.
I read fantasies; I have no problem with the gods being characters in this story. I'm not asking for THAT kind of historical accuracy. I'm just wondering what the author was thinking when she so cleverly wove together ancient Greece and her fantastical land in a manner that would cause many readers to find it difficult to say where one ends and the other begins--and then threw in things like guns when they had absolutely no significance in the story. I wonder if her own editor was confused--and that was why the original description called it a story of ancient Greece.
And a Newbery Honor Book? What's next: a Pulitzer for the syndicated series, HERCULES?

Sorry to say this, but The Thief did not steal me away. THis book was extremely dull and slow moving. The plot did not interest me at all! While there were a couple Interesting twists, they weren't good enough to keep me reading this book. Maybe if you're a little kid and you'll read anything this book will do it for you. But i would suggest you put the theif down and read something GOOD ...

i really didn't like this book... it was boring and nothign actually happens. the whole thing is about like two big events. and then it just ends. the plot isn't a very good one in my opinion and i just didn't like the main character at all.
if you're going to read a "thief" book, i recommand
the thief lord.

I'll admit, the first few pages were intriguing, but then, I came to realize that I was bored out of my mind. I tried to give the book a fair chance, but I gave up after about forty or fifty pages.

The first thing that motivated me to close the book was the total lack of story. I'm sure that something winds up happening, but it took far too long to happen, and there wasn't even a hint of what was coming to sustain me until the characters got to where they were going. The main character didn't know why he was being dragged on this quest, where he was going, or what was supposed to happen when he got there, and, what's more, he expressed little interest in finding out. I felt I had no reason to continue reading. If he didn't care, why should I?

What's more, the main character was, to me, completely unlikable. I didn't hate the man, but I felt no sympathy for him, which is unfortunate when a character is in a pitiable situation as he is. If I had to be specific, I would say I was put off by his constant complaining, uninteresting internal monologues, and complete lack of drive (as mentioned, he doesn't seem to care where he's going or why, and he makes no attempt to get himself out of his miserable situation in the forty-to-fifty pages I stuck with him).

So, in short, this book gave me no reason to care about the plot, and no reason to care about the main character. That is why I give this book only one star.

The book has a boring start and some minor bad language. I perservered in hope of the story getting better, based on the store reviews. The story did get better in the middle thanks to the interesting writing technique of first person view of the main character and regional mythology relating to the plot line. In the end it dissapoints with a ending surprises that indicate a Ms. Turner could have written a better story and fantasy elements that had nothing to do with the story we got. There is better fiction for 5th and 6th graders or adults, such as Where the Red Fern Grows and The Hobbit for coming of age and adventure.

I caution folks to be careful of books with lots of 5 star ratings and good reviews or the store recommendations. I may be critical, but expect the author to provide a story that works and consistency in their fantasy.

*** SPOILER WARNING ***

Part of the reason the story is boring is because Gen comes across as a whiny brat and does little to qualify as a master thief. He earns little sympathy with what befalls him in the next book (read its description / dust jacket to find out what that is).

Turner creates a fantasy world for the reader and they will suspend belief as part of that process. The world of Thief fails to excite and I was unable to continue with that suspension. We get a mythological land that borders cultures like ancient Greece and the Medes, but ends up with a dull pantheon. Eugenidies is not a Loki or Hermes. Firearms exist, but people have no idea on how to use them. The existince of advanced technology places a demand on the reader to supsend reality, but it ended up without purpose in the story or plot structure. There are much better fanstasy worlds such as Heinlein and Anthony.

I would give this book 2 stars, but I will deduct 1 star to balance out some of the high reviews. Many of them seem to be written by students that read the book as a school assignment. The reviews have statements along the lines of I don't read becasue I only play video games and having to read a book was not as terrible as they feared it would be. That is good feedback and they give reason for their rating. Unfortunately that skews the overall rating for folks that expect a book to do more.

I thought I would love this book. But it is absolutly attrocious. bad plot, nothing happens for the first half, confusing, boring, I didn't care about what happened in their stupid kingdom. I read half of it and couldn't keep going. Don't make the same mistake I did
Ginevra Davis, 6th grade

I bought this book because of so many positive review. Shame on reviewers who gave this a 5 star rating. They must be friends of the author. After reading half the book.... nothing.had happened. Don't buy this book. Even the cover art is boring.