![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Book Review
May. 2nd, 2011 11:13 pmThe Thief
by Megan Whalen Turner
This well-paced YA novel is set in a land reminiscent of late medieval Greece follows Gen, a brash young thief who is plucked out of prison by the king's magus for the purpose of stealing an ancient and powerful artifact from a neighboring country. Turner deftly uses the journey to engage in exploration of the characters and their relationships, as well as a way to explain the nature of her world. she often accomplished the latter through the inclusion of myths told around the fire when the party camped at night, a device I really liked. Once they arrive at the ancient temple where the artifact is to be found, Turner then starts building the suspense and introducing the action.
The Thief was a lot of fun to read. The story was engaging, and the characters were interesting. I really liked Gen's cocky self-assurance, his cleverness, and his pride, and the way those characteristics not only carried him through the story but also allowed him to form nuanced understandings of his companions. The plot had some great twists and turns, too. There were surprises that I could see coming and a couple that I could not, all of which added to the fun.
by Megan Whalen Turner
This well-paced YA novel is set in a land reminiscent of late medieval Greece follows Gen, a brash young thief who is plucked out of prison by the king's magus for the purpose of stealing an ancient and powerful artifact from a neighboring country. Turner deftly uses the journey to engage in exploration of the characters and their relationships, as well as a way to explain the nature of her world. she often accomplished the latter through the inclusion of myths told around the fire when the party camped at night, a device I really liked. Once they arrive at the ancient temple where the artifact is to be found, Turner then starts building the suspense and introducing the action.
The Thief was a lot of fun to read. The story was engaging, and the characters were interesting. I really liked Gen's cocky self-assurance, his cleverness, and his pride, and the way those characteristics not only carried him through the story but also allowed him to form nuanced understandings of his companions. The plot had some great twists and turns, too. There were surprises that I could see coming and a couple that I could not, all of which added to the fun.
