Megan Whalen Turner

Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

The Thief

A very enjoyable adventure book! The main character is a bit insufferable at first but he’ll grow on you :)

Rachel Stratton

Maria

reread may 2022 
so so much better the second time around oh my god going back to it knowing what happens in the later books makes all the details that were snuck in this one so clever i loved it to pieces. the scene with gen stealing hamiathes’s gift still bone-chilling and really sets the tone for queen of attolia. anyway a favourite even if it’s not the strongest in the series narratively. i also really love the way mwt plays with pov narratives too.

———————-
why did it take me so long to pick this up i loved it!! bit slow at the beginning, but it didn’t really undermine my overall enjoyment of this book. can’t wait to read the rest of the series

Christine

forced myself through the first half, thought about giving up but didnt bc i have so many friends who've been telling me to read this for so long, and then went "OH SHOOOOT OKAYYYYY" when everything actually decided to go down. ok! good last twist i will say that! i really liked the twist. felt almost dwj-ish the way everything played out. just very very confused by how old Gen is supposed to be, lmao

Vicky  Nuñez 

I decided to reread this series because I loved it the first time and it had been a few years since I last read it. 
There are some things I've forgotten about it and some things I remembered, but that only made the reading the more fun. 

If someone has not read this in the past and they are fantasy lovers they need to read it immediately, and even non-fantasy lovers in the look for a great read with great plot twists can read it and be amazed.

Alexa M

meh.
this book is  old  and it shows. the writing style was not very good and i was bored the whole time. i kept hanging on because i was promised a twist but like... okay? that's it? i don't wanna shit on this book but yeah not for me. for a book under 300 pages it took me over a week to finish...

Jamieson

this is one of those books where I liked it, and then I didn't like it, and then I was gonna dnf it, and then I liked it again, and then I was bored again, and then all of a sudden I loved it Essentially, a really big rollercoaster of emotions. Overall coming out of this I do feel it was a positive experience hence a three star rather than two, but there was some close calls. 

I started this because I LOVE thief stories. I will continue to keep reading stories about thieves and heists until the day of my death because I LOVE THEM. On the surface this is a pretty basic thief story - We follow Gen, a notorious thief taken out of jail and charged by the king of Sunis to find an ancient stone. Whoever possesses the stone gains rightful leadership of the country called Eddis. 

So the beginning part of this book is really boring. The first half follows Gen, the Magus who pulls him from prison and three soldiers as they travel to the fabled location of the stone. Literally nothing happens in this section and I considered dnf'ing the book. <

b>There isn't much to cling to at the start the writing is a little stale and uninspiring. The characters didn't really .. do anything. Often their actions and behaviours contradicted earlier behaviour and it was hard to get an understanding of their personalities. The three soliders were all very one dimensional to me and hard to tell apart. One thing I DID appreciate was the unreliable narrator I love unreliable narrators and it was used really well in the second section. 

This book definitely picks up in the second half. There is significantly more action and the politics and worldbuilding introduced through section one starts to come into play. In this section, Megan Whaler Turner turns your expectations on their head and if you liked the ending of The Fifth Season I think you'd like this book too (it's not the same thing, but it's got a similar vibe)


  And the Earth had no name. The gods know themselves and have no need of names. It is man who names all things, even gods.


Definitely the highlight of this book was the politics introduced and how this is going to play out in the next books. I liked the discussions around class, social structure and war here. There is a lot of discussion about culture and immigration, and the perception that lower class, uneducated people are inherently less valuable than upper class educated people. The thematic work is, I think, the greatest strength of this book. And Turner has tied it into the general politics and worldbuilding in such a way I know it's going to keep coming up, and I'm really happy about that. 

This reads like a giant prologue but I think it's going in a great direction. Even though I truly disliked the first bit I truly enjoyed the final part. I would love to see the characters get fleshed out some more, but if that happened, and the political intrigue keeps on this trajectory, I think this could be a series I really enjoy.

Kayla Ndife

Pretty lame. This earned a Newberry award? The premise and the general plot are commendable, and the world is fantastic, but it is almost impossible to follow. I read this at 19 and couldn't figure out the characterization or what the heck was going on most of the time... even for a children's book, it moved too quickly. Taking some more time with everything, instead of rushing through it and giving us only a fingernail scratching's worth of a picture would make this a much better read.

Rachel Kanyid

Short and sweet. Interesting storyline and excited to continue the adventure!

Very Robin Hood meets The False Prince -I wasn't sure what to expect from a fantasy released in 1996, but it was a fun (if not slow in some parts) story!

Kimberly Burgess 

Tylar M

Ryan LaFerney

So, my wife has been encouraging me to read Megan Whalen Turner since I've met her in 2016. We even got to meet Magan Whalen Turner at ALA one year (she was very kind and invited us to a fandom party). I recently read that The Thief has earned comparisons to The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (one of my favorite books) and vice versa, so I thought I should finally dive in and find out what is so enthralling about this series. One word: Eugenides. 
The story is told (first person) by Gen (who is later revealed to be Eugenides), a thief who opens the book imprisoned in the kingdom of Sounis. He is freed by the King's Magus---a wiseman-type councilor---who needs a skilled thief to help him recover a lost artifact. They set out on a LOTR's type expedition, accompanied by the Magus's two apprentices and a soldier. In the first half of the book, we slowly get to know the characters through Gen's eyes, and learn something of the world where this story is set. Turner does a good job developing and describing the mix of relationships between the members of this quest---rivalries, respect, jealousy---and as we get to know the characters better, it becomes apparent that there is a bit more to each of them than meets the eye. Turner also envelopes us in the mythology of the world she has built (based on Greek mythology btw) by using the story within a story device that is found within recently popular fantasy series, such as the Kingkiller Chronicles.

Folks have commented that a chunk of the book is focused on the relationships of the characters who've embarked on this journey for the lost artifact and its true but it is highly intriguing and never boring. It's slowly revealed that the lost artifact that Gen has to steal is the precious stone called Hamaithes's Gift in the country of Attolia. Midway through the book, the tempo increases dramatically. There are fights, escapes, chases. And as the action unfolds, the puzzle is revealed showing the character's true motivations- including our narrator, who carefully hides a few secrets of his own until the end. And that is why I love this book - Gen tricks us. For a good chunk of the novel you assume that Gen is just a lazy, starved boy, who is probably incapable of stealing Hamaithe's Gift, and as the book progresses to its astounding climax you realize: Gen is extremely clever and so is Turner.
Turner's writing is never verbose, and she is able to craft an epic story in few pages (if this was being told by another writer this could easily be a 1000 page fantasy novel that is well, way too descriptive and uneventful). Turner is an economical fantasy writer and one of the best. 
This deserves to be mentioned alongside of Lewis, Tolkien, Le Guin, Rothfuss, McKinley, Sanderson, etc. Highly recommended.

Discover the world of the Queen’s Thief New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin. Eugenides, the queen’s thief, can steal anything—or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king’s magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he’s in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans, and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Discover and rediscover the stand-alone companions, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A Conspiracy of Kings, all epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief. This edition of The Thief includes an exclusive piece by Megan Whalen Turner about her inspiration for the setting of the story, an introduction to the characters from the world of the Queen's Thief, and a map of the world of the Queen's Thief. A Newbery Honor Book An ALA Notable Book A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults A Horn Book Fanfare Book A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age A Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book A Junior Library Guild Selection “The Queen’s Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner’s books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come.”—Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer "Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail—you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again.”—Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of the The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows “Trust me. Just read it. Then read it again, because it will not be the same river twice.”—Lois McMaster Bujold, acclaimed and Hugo Award-winning author of the Vorkosigan Saga, the Chalion Series, and the Sharing Knife series "In addition to its charismatic hero, this story possesses one of the most valuable treasures of all—a twinkling jewel of a surprise ending." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “To miss this thief’s story would be a crime.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) “A literary journey that enriches both its characters and readers before it is over.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A tantalizing, suspenseful, exceptionally clever novel.”—The Horn Book (starred review)

Amani Zaha

Gen is a thief. He's smart, often lazy, sometimes petulant, very observant and charming when he wants to be. He is also careful not to divulge too much about himself: while attentive to everything going on around him, Gen remains mostly anonymous to the reader.

As a result, the writing style in The Thief is very to-the-point, a bit more bare than I'm used to, but Turner is clearly skilled with effectively conveying what she wants. In few words, she conveys tension, awkwardness, character and relationship dynamics. The dialogue is never dull, each line a clue about the character who has spoken. I picked this book up after seeing the snarky, resourceful Gen being compared to Tangled's Flynn Rider, and I was not disappointed — while this story is more somber, Gen gets in a lot of quips and jabs, and is a similar brand of likeable smart-ass.

While this was a very interesting read, the pacing is definitely slow. The first 50 pages barely see any dialogue, and the first half of the book focuses on the characters travelling and little else. Still, once the characters started interacting and, most importantly, Gen had warmed up a bit, I found even the journeying interesting. And the second half of the story—it delivers quite the pay-off.

Many reviews mention that while this book takes its sweet time, the installments that follow are well worth getting through this one. I am definitely intrigued by Gen and enjoyed Turner's writing style—looking forward to reading the second book. :-)

Janice Hopper

A pretty enjoyable read. I liked the sorta-Classical world references. And the story is a little twistier than I expected at the beginning, in a GOOD way.

Interested to know more about the character(s).

Very slow in the beginning, but worth the ending and setup for the series. I think I would have preferred if I listened to this on audio, as the traveling sequences were a bit of a slog - but for good reason.

Once we arrived in the temple (maybe 60 or 75% through the book), I was hooked. Those scenes were my favorite, and the payoff at the end was worth the meandering beginning.

Definitely willing to give the rest of the series a try, although may not right away. I'm interested to see where the other books take us, and I expect they'll be very different from this first one!

Caroline Clutterbuck Kapulkin

Very slow in the beginning, but worth the ending and setup for the series. I think I would have preferred if I listened to this on audio, as the traveling sequences were a bit of a slog - but for good reason.

Once we arrived in the temple (maybe 60 or 75% through the book), I was hooked. Those scenes were my favorite, and the payoff at the end was worth the meandering beginning.

Definitely willing to give the rest of the series a try, although may not right away. I'm interested to see where the other books take us, and I expect they'll be very different from this first one!

Connor 

This was lovely. Can't wait for the next one.

Somewhat slow and info-dumpy, and definitely feels like a prologue. But I’ll continue reading the audiobooks as long as they are narrated by Steve West. If you like Lies of Locke Lamora or Assassin’s Apprentice, give this one a try.

Liz Griffin

bonch cronch

could have been gayer. 
I thought i was reading slowburn m/m. i expected every next chapter for a drop or hint of the characters inner thoughts. and was thoroughly disappointed in the ending. that being said.

it was alright. i won't read it again or finish the series. there was a lot going on. which could have been played better other then a murder mystery showdown in the living room. it felt rushed or really just thrown together to make it all work.

jess

The Queen's Thief is a series that I've been meaning to read for a good ten years, and I've only just gotten around to it now. Look, I love heists and thieves, so it was coming eventually. The first book is a fun, twisty adventure heist story with a witty and whip-smart protagonist that sets the stage well for the later books.

Gen is a really fun protagonist to read from, and he defines unreliable narrator. I kind of knew what was coming -- partially just from genre savviness, and partially because the series is written (well, I might add) for a younger audience. I did like all the other characters and Gen's interactions with them -- he really is a little prick sometimes. I loved it. 

The Thief also lacks much of the political intrigue and scheming that defines the rest of the series -- though scheming is definitely a part of this first book. It's an adventure story at heart, this one. The first half of the book is pretty slow and interspersed with stories about the mythology of the world, which is a lovely spot of worldbuilding if you're interested, but I felt like it slowed an already fairly plodding pace. 

This is a good introduction to the world of The Queen's Thief with a small scope that sets the stage to open up in the later books.

mevi

2.5 stars

It was an INCREDIBLE slow start, literally until page 160 Gen was saying "I'm tired" and "I'm hungry". The second half of the book was really quick, but not as eventful as I thought it was going to be. I felt like it was an escape goat due to the slow start. I read a lot of high fantasy, and love journey/adventure trip, but I felt like someone was writing a Sims dialogue of what they were doing, eating, sleeping, etc. 

I'm not sure I'm going to continue the series.

Mundy Otto Reimer

Sorry! I honestly tried my best! 🤷‍♀️

• 2-dimensional 👾 cardboard characters
• Simplistic, stilted prose. Often awkward phrasing structure.
• Incredibly predictable plot...yes, even the supposed "twist" at the end was seen more than a mile away 🔭
• The pacing 🦥 was absolutely mind-numbing 🤯🔫 in the first half of the story (and this is coming from a person who often derides action-oriented books/media and usually possesses extreme patience 🧘 digesting something like dense math or philosophy texts)...and the expected payoff 💸 did not even come close to making up for this! 
• Rather drab to barely existent world-building 🪨🌾
• And finally, I know it's YA, but this reminds me of something I'd maybe read in 2nd-3rd grade😅

At least I got my first 1 star for the year, haha!

Discover the world of the Queen’s Thief New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin. Eugenides, the queen’s thief, can steal anything—or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king’s magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he’s in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans, and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Discover and rediscover the stand-alone companions, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A Conspiracy of Kings, all epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief. This edition of The Thief includes an exclusive piece by Megan Whalen Turner about her inspiration for the setting of the story, an introduction to the characters from the world of the Queen’s Thief, a map of the world of the Queen’s Thief, and an exclusive teaser to Thick as Thieves. A Newbery Honor Book An ALA Notable Book A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults A Horn Book Fanfare Book A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age A Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book A Junior Library Guild Selection “The Queen’s Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner’s books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come.”—Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer "Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail—you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again.”—Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of the The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows “Trust me. Just read it. Then read it again, because it will not be the same river twice.”—Lois McMaster Bujold, acclaimed and Hugo Award-winning author of the Vorkosigan Saga, the Chalion Series, and the Sharing Knife series "In addition to its charismatic hero, this story possesses one of the most valuable treasures of all—a twinkling jewel of a surprise ending." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “To miss this thief’s story would be a crime.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) “A literary journey that enriches both its characters and readers before it is over.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A tantalizing, suspenseful, exceptionally clever novel.”—The Horn Book (starred review)

Savannah Winchell

Lauren Tabor

**Mild Spoilers**

This is a really cool adventure/quest type book and I really liked it! I will say I think the writing was a little hard to me to read, my brain kept stumbling over words and sentences, but I have a feeling that's just me and my own intellect struggling. I also had a hard time picturing some of the things described and it felt like I would miss parts of sentences or paragraphs and I'd have to go back a reread a section to see what I missed. Again, that was probably just me either reading it too fast or the writing was just fancier than I'm used to. 
The beginning while they were on their journey felt a little repetitive to me. There were a lot of descriptions of their travels, i.e. eating, sleeping, bathing, riding horses, etc. It seemed a bit heavy handed, but once we go through it I know it was to help establish the relationships and help set the scene. Plus, it read really fast so it wasn't like I was bored and taking forever to read it. Once we got to where they were heading it got suuuuper interesting! When Gen was actually searching for the stone it was really high stakes and exciting times (also stressful times). 
When getting to know everyone on their journey I never knew who we could trust so I had a hard time letting myself get attached to anyone (even Get), so I can't say that I was super invested in any one character. Except Sophos, he was a precious angel and I would die for him. Of course by the end I can't help but like some of them and want to continue on and learn more about each character. 
I found that the end all happened really fast and I wish we had some more explanations because I was a little confused at who people were and what was happening. I just knew good things were happening I think and that I liked everyone so it was ok if I didn't fully comprehend things. But by the end-end I think I knew who people were and the relationship and things. 
All in all though I really enjoyed this! I love a good adventure and I'm excited to read more in the series and see where it goes. I'm not exactly sure what to expect, but I'm sure it's going to be a fun time!

Alice Hyman

In the Thief we follow Gen, a young wayward sassy thief, who despite his best efforts is biding his time in prison. The world seems loosely based on the Roman conquest of Britain - with old and new Gods, an oppressive Empire where the rich grow richer and the power looks for more land to conquer. 

Gen is surprising released from his imprisonment by the Kings head Magus - who enlists (read blackmails and strongarms ) Gens help in a quest. As we set off we know as little as Gen and the further we get we know less and less. 

I feel like this book was just not for me. The world building felt a bit stilted and fairy tale like. It was really jarring moving between the story itself and these myths that were told by the characters alongside. The characters themselves felt very vague to me and I did not connect with them at all. The only dialog that took place really was one upmanship banter that though, while is entertaining get boring after awhile. Especially as Gen is supposedly the best thief ever, but he seems completely flummoxed by the people around him and acts like a sulky teenager. 

Overall two stars as the end of the book did surprise me and I feel there is a lot of potential in this world

Lauren Sullivan

I started reading this book as a teen when I ducked into a Barnes & Noble during a rainy visit to New York City. I remember sitting spellbound in front of the shelf, highly amused at Gen’s antics, and spent much longer there than I’d intended. And of course I went home with that book! When someone on one of the discords I’m on mentioned reading it for the first time, I realized I still needed something for my pre-2011 series for Cannonball Bingo. Nothing like an excuse to reread an old favorite, right?

Months ago, Gen was arrested for stealing the king of Sounis’ seal (and bragging about it) and then thrown in prison. Freed by the king’s magus, Gen is now being drug along on some sort of trip that needs his thieving skills. But exactly what is going on with their mission is something that takes nearly the whole book to find out…

“No one would mistake you for anything but a tool, Gen. If a sword is well made, does the credit go to the blacksmith or to his hammer? How much smarter than a hammer can you be if you flaunt the proof of your crimes in a wineshop?”

And that’s pretty much all I’ll say about the plot, as this is one of those books it’s best not to know too much about before starting it. For a young adult adventure novel, this is a very slow paced book. While I remember enjoying it the first time through, it’s one of those books that definitely improves on a reread, for various reasons. Much of the book is not action based (though that changes in the last quarter or so) but character focused, mostly on Gen and how he interacts with the rest of the party. Gen is a fascinating character. He’s clever, but also admittedly impetuous and a bit hot headed, so he has a habit of getting himself into scrapes and then having to figure out how to get himself out. He spends a good chunk of the book whining for more food and to rest, which, relatable, especially for someone who’s recovering from months in prison.

Though Gen can be charming when he wants to, he can’t help but needle the magus, who’s in charge of the party. Accompanying them are two more children, Ambiades and Sophos (whom he quickly dubs “Useless the Elder” and “Useless the Younger”), and a soldier named Pol. While Ambiades seems set on making his disdain for Gen clear, Sophos is much kinder, and he’s truly a sweet kid. Gen works hard to keep up his dislike of the whole party (something the magus and Ambiades, by turn, definitely make easier) but keeping to the selfish gutter rat persona he’s perfected is harder than he expected, which adds some unexpected complications.

One of the things that makes this book slower is the huge amount of world building. The world is vaguely Greek-inspired, from the names to the food to the climate. There’s a lot of backstory for the three kingdoms (Sounis, Eddis and Attolia) and the various political maneuverings around them that are meant to set the stage for later books. Interspersed with that are stories about the gods and goddesses, mostly ones about Eugenides, the god of thieves, and Gen’s namesake. It’s a bit obvious about the info-dumping, between the myths and the magus’ quizzing of the two boys, but I found it so fascinating that I didn’t care. The writing is absolutely excellent, direct and to the point, and it makes the book absolutely magical.

Overall, while this certainly isn’t the best book of the series, it’s one I remember with a lot of fondness.

Content notes: (view spoiler)[imprisonment, child abuse, violence (including death of a child), near drowning, alcohol (hide spoiler)]