I liked the book overall. It was short and pretty straightforward, but the characters were interesting and memorable enough to keep me hooked. Even though it wasn’t a complex story, I still enjoyed it.

#TheThief #NetGalley

Book Review: "The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner

Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief is a captivating journey into a world of cunning, adventure, and intricate political intrigue. The novel introduces readers to Eugenides, or Gen, a master thief with a reputation that precedes him. Imprisoned for boasting about his abilities, Gen is unexpectedly recruited by the king's scholar, the magus, for a seemingly impossible task: to steal a precious artifact of immense power.

What makes The Thief stand out is its remarkable narrative style. Turner's writing is both elegant and engaging, laced with a dry wit that brings her characters to life. The story is told from Gen's perspective, allowing readers to delve deeply into his thoughts and motivations, which are as complex and layered as the plot itself.

The plot is meticulously crafted, with twists and turns that keep readers on their toes. Turner masterfully builds tension, unraveling the story at a deliberate pace that mirrors the journey of her characters through treacherous landscapes and political maneuvering. The world-building is subtle yet rich, drawing from Mediterranean and ancient influences, creating a setting that feels both familiar and fresh.

Character development is another highlight of the novel. Gen is a fascinating protagonist—clever, resourceful, and more than a little arrogant—but it's his vulnerabilities that make him truly compelling. The supporting characters, including the magus and his attendants, are equally well-drawn, each with their own distinct personalities and hidden agendas.

While The Thief is the first in a series, it stands alone as a complete and satisfying story. However, it also leaves enough threads dangling to entice readers to continue the journey in the subsequent books.

In conclusion, The Thief is a brilliantly executed tale of adventure and deception, with a protagonist who is as enigmatic as he is entertaining. Turner's ability to blend a gripping plot with complex characters and a richly imagined world makes this book a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure alike.

This is a very short read that I picked up as a palette cleanser between heavier reads.

But ultimately I found it boring and repetitive.

It does get better towards the end, but by that point I wasn’t very invested in this book anymore and admit I pretty much skimmed a large chunk.

Struggled with this one. Characters are unlikeable and I couldn’t find myself interested in the plot.

DNF @ 23% unfortunately

I recently read "The Thief" by Meghan Whalen Turner, and it was an absolute delight. The story pulled me in right away with Gen, the main character, who is a brilliant, sarcastic thief. His journey to steal a legendary artifact was filled with unexpected twists that kept me guessing. I loved how Turner created such a vivid and enchanting world; it felt like I was right there alongside the characters. The pacing was perfect, allowing me to really connect with Gen and the others. It's one of those books that leaves you wanting more, and I can't wait to dive into the next one in the series. If you enjoy smart, adventurous tales with a touch of magic, you’ll really enjoy this book.

This came highly recommended so I stuck with it despite not liking the main character much. It was, in the end, worth it, though I still have a gripe. This is a YA book and the first in a trilogy (at least) followed by 'The Queen of Attolia' and 'The King of Attolia.' Gen is a thief and when his stupid bragging lands him in the king's prison his only way out is to agree to steal a hidden treasure from another land. But all is not what it seems and random chance tends to be not so random after all and Gen travels with the magus, his mentor and guard on a dangerous mission.

It turns out that Gen has his own agenda and as a reader I was moderately irked by the fact that even though we are told the story in Gen's first person viewpoint he never lets his agenda or identity slip - even right at the end when he comes face to face with someone he knows and still conceals it from his first person narrative. All along he's concealed his own personality, identity, background, intelligence and education from his narrative. I hate it when information is deliberately withheld for the purpose of confusing or surprising the reader. I would have felt better if this had been told in the third person say from the viewpoint of Sophos, one of his companions on the quest, who was totally taken in by the deception.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner started very slowly, and I was a little bored during the first half but once the pace started to pick up, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to continuing this series in the near future.

Okay so this started off a little slow and confusing but once i got into it i ended up really enjoying it. And i am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I had high hopes for this as it was talked about a lot on social media, but I also do sometimes find that a hype lessens my enthusiasm when reading. It was a pleasant story, though felt very classically fantasy which is not quite my thing. I was intrigued by the premise and the plot so I kept reading to the end, but I didn't feel overly connected to the events. It's also a journey narrative which was stated in the blurb, but I didn't expect most of the book to be just that, with the action only really starting in the second half. As a result I was interested, but not completely gripped.

The book starts with a slow and underwhelming beginning, but the second half redeems it with an engrossing plot and character development. The series shows great promise, keeping readers intrigued with rich world-building and a unique blend of thieves and mythological elements. The Thief, the protagonist, stands out as a complex and admirable character. The book has a timeless quality in its writing style, making it feel like a classic, despite being relatively recent. Readers will eagerly anticipate the sequel to continue exploring this captivating world.

Sadly, this isn’t for me. Which is annoying as I thought this book/series would be perfect for me.

The Thief felt very much like a first book in a series. Yes, I know it is, but it was a slog as there was a lot of world building and not much action. Not much happened in what I did read. I have heard the series gets better in book 2, but I don’t know if I want to finish this read in the hope it gets better.

I didn’t warm to the main characters in The Thief either. It was just little things - not liking the plot, the characters, the writing, the pacing.

Just not for me (even though I know many people who love this series and can’t wait for the final book to come out early next year).

For me this book is all about the main character Eugenides, he’s sharp and cunning and I just had so much fun reading about this character and his journey. This book is perfect for those that like character driven tales and every character within it, are well crafted and have such well formed personalities.

A very standard fantasy, all the tropes and overall vibes you would expect and actually a pretty good entry into the genre if you are just starting out, however not one that is particularly groundbreaking, especially if you read a lot of the genre.

A fantasical adventure! Megan Whalen Turner is a master of YA writing; this novel was engaging and thoroughly enjoyable. Anyone looking for great world-building and a fast-paced plot is sure to love this, with the added bonus of an interesting, hilarious narrator.

This was a great little adventure fantasy book that I really loved. It was short (coming up to about 280 pages) but the author managed to fill it with world building and mythology and history that I found so fascinating! I've heard that the later books in the series are even better by leaps and bounds, so I can't wait to get to them!

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to formally announce that I have found the new love of my life, and that is Gen. I'm a sucker for the trickster Aladdin-type thief characters with a truck full of secrets, so I think Gen and I were just meant to be. He's like an even snarkier, trickier Han Alister. I can't wait to continue reading Gen's story and follow his future adventures!!

I adored how the setting was based in Greek mythology. Some of you might not know this but I am a fucking huge Greek mythology nerd (all stemming from my childhood full of Percy Jackson). The stories of the old gods were both familiar and unique, and I loved seeing where Megan Whalen Turner took Greek mythology and placed her own spin on it.

I've tried to read this book several times, and for whatever reason I can't seem to get into the writing style. I love that this throws you into its fantasy world - it hits the ground running and introduces you to some wit smart characters. However, it's just not holding my attention and the pacing is really slow. 50% in and I feel like nothing has moved forward. Especially Gen. I might come back to it one day, however for now I have no interest in what feels likes a very generic fantasy.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

The Thief originally came out in 1996, and I feel like if I'd read it then, I may have enjoyed it more.

For a book series that appears to be well known and loved by it's fans, I had never heard of it and was excited to see what this tale involved.

While this was an interesting read, I have to admit I nearly quit just because the start is pretty slow and the somewhat repetitive. I have seen it described as meandering, and that seems the best way of describing perhaps the first 65/70%. However, I almost never quit a book, and The Thief will reward those who perservere with some wonderful twists and turns, some of which you just don't see coming.

Overall, I'm glad I continued reading, I don't think, however, that the end is enough to make me want to read any more of the series.

I enjoyed this a lot. The humour and pace were good. A few twists but that's ok. I believe there is a sequel and I want to read that too.

I sadly couldn't get into this one. I'm not sure what it was about the book but I started it and just never wanted to pick it back up.

This might be one I pick up again in the future but at this moment in time it's a dnf.

So sorry!!