This Newberry Honor Book is the first in a series featuring a thief named Gen and the remarkable world he belongs in. It is a world based, in part, on ancient Greece – but there are details that belong to other eras of history, as recent as the 1500s, and many of the geographical locations, gods, and heroes referenced in this story are the author’s own creation. Nevertheless, those who enjoy medievalism, orientalism, ancient myths and legends, and just plain awesome stories, take note: this is not a series you should miss.

In The Thief, Gen’s boast that he can steal anything lands him in the prison of the King of Sounis. But then it gets him out again; for the king’s magus (not an actual magic-worker, just a scholarly adviser) wants Gen to help him steal something very important to the king. If he succeeds, Gen will be set free and rewarded richly. If he fails, he will die.

Gen accepts the commission, and joins the magus and his strange party on a perilous and mysterious journey. Together with two apprentices and a hardened soldier, the pair venture into the territory of the hostile Queen of Attolia. But what they’re really after is an ancient talisman whose bearer, by divine right, rules the strategic kingdom of Eddis, in the mountain pass between Sounis and Attolia. Many people have gone in search of this stone, known as the Gift of Hamiathes. None of the seekers have returned.

Gen’s quest to steal the stone surpasses all expectations, growing from a caper by a socially irreverent, yet religiously devout thief, into a spiritual journey, a heartbreaking battle, a desperate escape, and surprise upon deeply-moving surprise. This turns out to be one of those virtually perfect books, whose clever set-up and satisfying pay-off inspire my utmost admiration. But besides that, it’s awfully fun to read. After finishing it, I couldn’t sit still until I had read the sequel, titled The Queen of Attolia. The third book, The King of Attolia, comes out in hardcover on June 1, 2007.

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 13+

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