Readers of all ages will enjoy The Thief immensely! Megan Whalen Turner is a masterful storyteller who weaves familiar and new mythology into this story that excites and entices. 

The story of Gen doesn’t unfold in ways that the average reader is used to. There is a lot left to the imagination, and we aren’t spoon-fed too many facts. I love it when an author counts on me to be smart enough to figure things out–it feels like a personal compliment! Once we arrive at the end of the book, we are treated to a couple of great surprises, which makes the whole thing even more exciting.  Fortunately, the story doesn’t end here–there are three more volumes to look forward to!

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 4 religious exclamations; 7 mild obscenities; 7 religious profanities.

Content note: The religious profanities and exclamations are all slightly less offensive given the nature of the fantasy culture that worships various gods–still, the oaths are close enough to the real thing that the reviewer felt they should be counted.

Violence/Gore:  A person is reported to have fallen to her death; a legend is told about a person who is burned to death with little detail; a character is pulled up by the hair; a character kicks another character; a character strikes subordinates with fists and crop; a character is tied up; a character gets fingers caught in a door; a character falls off a horse; a character kills attackers with sword (very little detail); a character is pushed off a cliff; a character is cut by a rock; several characters are ambushed and mildly injured.

Sex/Nudity:   A character removes clothing to bathe; a legend is told about two mythological characters who “lie together.”

Mature Subject Matter:

Kidnapping, imprisonment, loss of family member, theft, political tensions.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None