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

~ (Author) "I DIDN'T KNOW HOW LONG I had been in the king's prison..." (more)
Key Phrases: main pass, pry bar, door blocks, Hamiathes's Gift, Sea of Olives, Queen's Thief (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A king orders a young thief to carry out a near-impossible heist under threat of death. "In addition to its charismatic hero, this story possesses one of the most valuable treasures of all?a twinkling jewel of a surprise ending," said PW of this 1997 Newbery Honor book. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up?Things are not what they seem in this story of wit, adventure, and philosophy. Gen, an accomplished thief incarcerated for stealing the king's seal, is dragged from his cell by the king's magus, who is on a quest. The prize is Hamiathes's Gift, said to be a creation of the gods that confers the right of rule on the wearer. During the quest, the magus and Gen take turns telling the youngest member of their party myths about the Eddisian god of thieves. Turner does a phenomenal job of creating real people to range through her well-plotted, evenly paced story. No one is entirely evil or completely perfect. Gen is totally human in his lack of discipline, seeming lack of heroism, and need for sleep and food. The magus makes the transition from smug, superior scholar to decent guy in a believable fashion. Turner also does a neat job of puncturing lots of little prejudices. There are many deft lessons in this story. As absorbing as it is, the best part lies in the surprise ending. Though it is foreshadowed throughout, it is not obvious?its impact is more like morning sunlight than a lightning bolt. This book is sure to be a hot item with adventure and fantasy lovers, and YAs who like snide, quick-tempered, softhearted heroes will love Gen.?Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (December 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060824972
• ISBN-13: 978-0060824976
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,727 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 1 in The Queen's Thief Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ingeniously Hilarious, July 31, 2005

By	Myra Schjelderup "Ignolopi" (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Thief (Paperback)

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 adventures 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!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books we've read, December 7, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Thief (Paperback)

What starts as a simple "get out of jail" adventure story evolves into a rich world with stunning landscape, a fascinating pantheon of Gods, and characters who are more than they seem.

This book may be challenging for younger readers. I read it aloud to my 8 and 10 year olds, and they loved it, but did not appreciate some of the plot elements. For reading alone, I'd recommend it more for the 12-16 year old set.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Thief Review, January 16, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Thief (Hardcover)

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.