Thieves at Heart (The Valley of Ten Crescents #1) [Kindle Edition]

Tristan J. Tarwater (Author)

Book Description

Born in poverty, a half-elf in a human city, Tavera lives in a world where she doesn't belong -- until the day she meets Derk. Initiated into the elite group of self-made scoundrels known as the Cup of Cream, Tavera must choose between loyalty to her father and a place as one of the THIEVES AT HEART.

In this book, author Tristan Tarwater explores the development of a young woman, not as prologue, but as a story all its own -- a story of struggle, survival and loss, of the family we're given, and the family we choose for ourselves.

PRAISE FOR THIEVES AT HEART

"Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens... mixed with A Knight's Tale"

"A skillfully written, well-pondered fantasy memoir."

"A great start to a series!"

"Hope to get to meet Tavi again soon."

"Luckily for readers and reviewers alike, every so often a gem such as this comes along... that create our love of reading, and feed our obsessive need to find the next one."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I'm very particular about my fantasy intake, and her book ticks all the right boxes. There's a fine line between 'grimdark' and 'real', and it's a rare treat to experience a writer that knows where that line is."  -- Jack Cayless, Author/Artist of 'Chimneyspeak'.
 
"It gave off 'Oliver Twist' mixed with 'A Knight's Tale'..." --Paula Phillips, the Phantom Paragrapher.

From the Inside Flap

Other books by Tristan J. Tarwater:

The Valley of Ten Crescents (Series)

• Little Girl Lost
• Self Made Scoundrel

Weird Tales

• Botanica Blues

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 248 KB
• Print Length: 209 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 098400890X
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Back That Elf Up (October 1, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005SSRQX8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,434 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great character-driven fantasy October 25, 2011

By Caytlin Reese

Format:Kindle Edition

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a fan of traditional fantasy. Elves are usually not my thing, and the plots that tend to come with fantasy bore me. For whatever reason, I just can't often get into a fantasy book.

But I just finished Thieves at Heart and it was the first fantasy book that's held my attention the whole way through. It doesn't exactly have a plot -- that is, external happenings driving the story -- but it holds up very well as a story driven by the characters. Well-- that's not entirely true, because how can you end on a cliffhanger if there's not plot? (And what a cliffhanger! I need the sequel!)

Anyway. It could use a bit more copy-editing, and there are some parts where uncommon words are repeated multiple times in a paragraph, and I have a pet peeve for the breath/breathe mistakes a lot of writers make, but it's still otherwise a well-written novel following a little half-elf girl's induction into a group of thieves. I enjoy the characters, the plots, Tavi's rebellious adolescence... Yep.

So overall, I give it four stars out of five. It's a great story to read, and you too will be wanting the sequel to be out *right now* when it's over.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just For Fans Of Fantasy! January 17, 2012

By Mandy

Format:Paperback

From the beginning of the book, Tavera, or Tavi as she is affectionately known, is an endearing character. We first meet her as a young child whose mother is Prisca the Tart - literally - a prostitute. While Tavi's mother is servicing her gentleman callers, Tavi hides in the shadows and pilfers money and valuables from the man's clothing. This doesn't seem like a great upbringing for a child, but Tavi doesn't seem to be suffering or have a bad life.

However, Prisca sells Tavi to a thief, Derk "The Lurk," who had noticed the young half-elf's abilities and takes her under his wing. And while she grieves for her lost mother, Derk ends up being a great father figure (except for the whole "thief-in-training" apprenticeship aspect) and seems to genuinely love Tavi. He protects her, he tries to provide for her, and has his sometime lover, "Old Glam," teach her the secrets of womanhood that he is unable to.

The story unfolds as Tavi becomes a young woman, hones her skills, and eventually has to learn to stand on her own. I enjoyed Thieves At Heart very much. I think Tarwater's characterization of Tavi and Derk was spot on; I feel like I really knew these characters, their fears, their ups and downs.

On a scale of 1-10, I'd say this is a strong 9. This is a book I would definitely recommend to fans of the fantasy genre, but also anyone who enjoys a story about a bond between two people who aren't blood relations, but are family nonetheless. I will be keeping an eye out for the second book in this series, which, according to Tarwater's website,[...] (I just had to throw that in there somewhere - what a great name!), is going to be a prequel focusing on Derk.

(Review written by Kathy, a Literary R&R book blog reviewer)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing December 29, 2011

By Tigger62077

Format:Kindle Edition

This is the first story by Tristan J Tarwater that I have read, and I found it rather intriguing. At the very least I want to read more of the characters. I have only a few issues with the story: It's hard to follow a time line - sometimes it seems as if paragraphs jump in time, but you can't tell how much, or a scene just...ends, and it seems like there should be more to it. Some details are left out, others seem to almost have too much. Overall, though, a good read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth the read. March 24, 2012

By Roger

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book had me from the beginning. The writing was great. The editing was great, much better than a lot of self published books available these days. The grammar was near flawless. I would love to play alongside this character in a game.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming and Funny December 10, 2011

By Maria T. Violante

Format:Kindle Edition

Thieves at Heart, by Tristan J. Tarwater, is a skillfully written, well-pondered fantasy memoir-of-sorts, following the rescue and coming of age of a young female thief by the name of Tavera. Please note that given some of the language and situations involved, it's not appropriate for children or most young adults.

My complaints with the book were few. At times, the writing gets a little unwieldy - uber-long sentences and the occasional awkward passage. Some of the transitions are clumsy. And yup, that's about it. Grammatically, the book is quite sound, and as far as the writing goes, it's fairly superb - excellent consistency of POV, enthralling (and often cute) inner dialogues, bright pinches of humor and action.

Tarwater creates a fantasy world that is rich and complex, a "similar to ours" place that has been well-thought out enough to include things like a goddess-centered religion and a variety of card games. (Squee, I want to learn to play some of these!) You can really smell the dirt and feel the breeze.

The characters are well-drawn, well-rounded, and as a result, well-loved - although perhaps none so loved as Tavera, the protagonist, as it really is her story. We watch her grow up through her own eyes, blooming from a child pickpocket into an accomplished young woman of a thief, as she struggles with the same things that many of us dealt with growing up - abandonment, morality, achievement, loyalty.

Overall Rating: 4.6 Stars. Although not my usual cup of tea, the book was engaging, entertaining, well-written, and heartwarming. I hope for a review copy of the next in the series!

More About the Author

Tristan J Tarwater is the author of The Valley of Ten Crescents series, as well as several other stories that hope to see the light of day. Born and raised in New York City she remembers reading a lot, visiting Museums and the Aquarium frequently and wanting to be a writer from a very early age. Her love of fantasy and sci-fi spills over into what she reads and watches in her free time as well as the collection of dice, books and small metal figurines that reside in her home.

Tristan is currently working on the first round of edits of the final books in the "Valley of Ten Crescents" series as well as the beginnings of a short story collection of horror stories. Her work can also be found at Troll in the Corner where she writes the column 'Reality Makes the Best Fantasy'. She currently lives in Central California with her Admin, Small Boss, a cat that knows it's a multipass and Azrael.