Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Crown Thief (Tales of Easie Damasco #2)

3.41 of 5 stars 3.41 · rating details · 27 ratings · 10 reviews

Meet Easie Damasco: Thief, swindler and lately, reluctant hero.

But whatever good intentions Damasco may have are about to be tested to their limits, as the most valuable - and dangerous - object in the land comes within his light-fingered grasp. Add in some suicidally stubborn giants, an old enemy with dreams of empire and the deadliest killers in two kingdoms on his heels...more

Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages

Published September 25th 2012 by Angry Robot

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Science Fiction & Fantasy Titles for 2012!

476th out of 554 books — 1,248 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 88)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 08, 2013 James rated it 2 of 5 stars

So, Crown Thief, what did I think? Not much if I'm honest. It kind of just did it's job - entertained me for a little while. It wasn't particularly stand out, wasn't particularly poor, wasn't particularly anything... Two and a half Stars.

Plot : Two Stars

Meh. I don't know what to say. Starting in from where the last book left off, this book moves forward at its own pace. Strangely enough though Tellerman quickly sheds us of two main characters - Saltlick and Estrada - leaving us with Easie and A...more

like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Jaime rated it 2 of 5 stars

I love a swashbuckling story. I love a story where giants and magic exist. I love a story of a criminal, who really became what they are to survive uses their bad skills to bring down evil. So I should have loved this story. I didn’t.

I did not read the first book in the story, I did not feel lost. But I did feel left out. Strong relationship’s had been established, and although things were sort of explained through out the book it wasn’t enough for the new reader to catch up. As I read the revie...more

like · see review

Aug 30, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, arc

I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Angry Robot!

I enjoyed Crown Thief significantly more than I did Giant Thief; where the first installment faltered in terms of execution and was all about Easie on the run and little else, this second book improves by leaps and bounds. Easie is still on the run, but this time he's less of a bystander than he is an actual part of the proceedings. Throw in some much needed character development, higher...more I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Angry Robot!

I enjoyed Crown Thief significantly more than I did Giant Thief; where the first installment faltered in terms of execution and was all about Easie on the run and little else, this second book improves by leaps and bounds. Easie is still on the run, but this time he's less of a bystander than he is an actual part of the proceedings. Throw in some much needed character development, higher stakes and a more believable villain and we have an interesting fantasy adventure.

The first half does suffer from similar problems as the first book, though. We pick up from where we left off with Easie and the rest of the gang leaving the giants' village, which leads to a prolonged journey through the exact same places that Easie passed through the first time around. The only difference is that Estrada and Saltlick have other things to do, so we're essentially stuck with Alvantes, a stuffy and self-righteous guard-captain who is less than enamoured of Easie's company.

Thankfully, we drop the extended "Run Easie run!" sequences and finally get some connection with the plot in the second half - this, plus the fact that Easie finally reaches a point of self-realization and embraces his newfound role in the world, really, really upped the fun quota. I guess all I wanted was some positive action where Easie (and the others, really) actually took initiative rather than being dragged along by unseen forces. Also, I never realized how much I enjoyed character development until we saw real change in Easie's character; I almost cheered when he actually puts those quick wits of his to use and rewarded Estrada and Saltlick for their faith in him. Yay, Easie! It helps that we get a much more grounded villain here than Moaradrid, who was basically a cardboard cutout Big Bad that never really felt dangerous or gave me a sense of how high the stakes were.

Crown Thief ends on a slight cliffhanger, but it's nothing that would really ruin anyone's enjoyment. Combined with some welcome improvements and a long-overdue connection with the main character, I'm actually interested in what happens next in the Tales of Easie Damasco. Bring on the third book!(less)

like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Mieneke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy

Earlier this year Angry Robot published the first tale of Easie Damasco's adventures, Giant Thief . It was a story that I unabashedly enjoyed, as it was a fun romp with some excellent protagonists. At the time I was pleased to discover that the second book in the series was due to be released later in the year. Cue October and the second book Crown Thief has now been released and I'm pleased to report it is as much fun as the first book and answers some of the questions and complaints I had with...more Earlier this year Angry Robot published the first tale of Easie Damasco's adventures, Giant Thief . It was a story that I unabashedly enjoyed, as it was a fun romp with some excellent protagonists. At the time I was pleased to discover that the second book in the series was due to be released later in the year. Cue October and the second book Crown Thief has now been released and I'm pleased to report it is as much fun as the first book and answers some of the questions and complaints I had with the first book.

One of the things I remarked upon in my review of Giant Thief was that the book was in effect one long chase scene, resulting in the reader seeing a lot of real estate in Easie's world, but little depth to that which we encountered. And while Crown Thief has retained much of that travelogue-vibe, Easie and Alvantes barely stay anywhere for longer than a week, the places they visit and in some cases revisit gain some depth as Tallerman gives us more context for them and reveals some of the history of this world. I do hope though that in the next book the story sticks in place a bit more and it won't be another long journey, because while I really loved the way this book's trip gave Easie opportunity to grow, I think I've seen enough of the Castoval's roads for a bit, a sentiment I think Easie would be quick to echo!

But despite that one sticking point, I had another blast with Easie and his companions. We are not just reunited with Tallerman's wayward thief, but with Saltlick, Estrada and Alvantes as well. Where in Giant Thief Saltlick and Estrada were Easie's main sidekicks, in Crown Thief Easie is soon left on his own with Alvantes and this turns out to be a great combination. Alvantes' determination not to like or even respect Easie, because of his nefarious past, only seems to motivate Easie to prove him wrong and to do the right thing. Easie is forced to grow and change and he does so, even if not very gracefully, rather he stumbles into it and is at times flabbergasted at the changes in himself and what these make him do. I especially loved his indignation when he parts with his hard-earned *cough* coin to help other people with no gain to himself other than the satisfaction of doing the right thing. But it is not just Easie who learns new ways; both Alvantes and Saltlick have to adjust their habits. I particularly liked how Tallerman developed Saltlick's character, but then I have a large giant-shaped soft spot for him. To me Saltlick stole every scene in which he featured.

Crown Thief's plot is pretty straightforward. Once Easie and his crew arrive back in Altapasaeda after defeating Moaradrid in the mountains, the point where we left them in the first book, and find all is not well in the Castoval, even if the invader was defeated. There are a few twists and some expertly hidden clues and a Chekhov’s Gun, that left me both amazed at the fact that I'd forgotten it and at how cleverly Tallerman placed it. But mostly it's Tallerman throwing Easie into the most difficult situations he can think off and Easie either talking or sneaking his way out of them. And for all its straightforwardness, it is a heap of fun.

Easie's second adventure is another winner for David Tallerman. It's a high-octane romp, with perhaps just a tad less urgency than Giant Thief, but that's made up for by the deepening of his characters and a slightly bigger reveal of his world's inner workings. Who could resist the promise of a reformed rogue, a gruff guard captain, and even more giants than last time? I know I couldn't. Crown Thief is a great follow up to Giant Thief and promises that Prince Thief, due next year, will be an explosive conclusion. I'll be there to see how everything turns out and how Easie will get out of whatever Tallerman throws at him next time.

This book was provided for review by the publisher.(less)

like · see review

Sep 18, 2012 Rebecca Lovatt rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off, before beginning the review of this novel I want to say a couple of things. One, I made a bit of a mistake when getting this book to review as I didn’t realize it was a sequel — so some of what I say may not be entirely correct. Second, there is a possibility for there to be spoilers in this review. So, just a bit of a warning for anyone who hasn’t read the first book (Giant Thief by David Tallerman)

Tallerman’s Crown Thief is an engaging, fast paced and riveting tale. Jumping right in...more First off, before beginning the review of this novel I want to say a couple of things. One, I made a bit of a mistake when getting this book to review as I didn’t realize it was a sequel — so some of what I say may not be entirely correct. Second, there is a possibility for there to be spoilers in this review. So, just a bit of a warning for anyone who hasn’t read the first book (Giant Thief by David Tallerman)

Tallerman’s Crown Thief is an engaging, fast paced and riveting tale. Jumping right into the story where the first book left off, Crown Thief follows the story of Easie Damasco and his travels with the Guard Captain Alvantes, briefly accompanied by mayor Estrada and Saltlick, an amiable giant and friend to Damasco.

With Damasco and Alvantes continuously being thrown into perilous situations, the story is action packed and rarely has a dull moment. With its easy to read style, interesting and enthralling characters who go through a considerable amount of character development react realistically to their changes of circumstance and the flow of events, to the point of even being able to form an uneasy camaraderie in their time of need, Tallerman has created an interesting fantasy adventure.

There were a couple of points which while I didn’t entirely like they didn’t completely subtract from the story. One of which was that there seemed to be a overbearingly repetitive nature in the way that Easie would moan on about how boring travel is whenever the opportunity presented itself, especially when revisiting locations they had been to before. Also, while not so much of a deal, things seemed a bit too convenient for Easie where he’d get injured in a manner that’d kill most people, or at least break a few bones but he would walk away with a few bruises at most.

Besides for that however, the giants were an interesting addition to the story, as they’re rarely seen in literature these days (from what I’ve noticed). While being a subdued and gentle race, they proved themselves to be great assets and not just an unnecessary addition to the story.

Overall, I enjoyed Crown Thief by David Tallerman very much. It was an interesting read, very quick and easy to get through. Ending with a bit of a cliffhanger, it leaves you wanting for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for a review.(less)

like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Adam Drew rated it 3 of 5 stars

This sequel to _Giant Thief_ is a light, fun, ridiculous romp which will feel familiar to anybody who has ever rolled a twenty-sided die. Worth plunging into for the raw, silly thrill of it. It is reliant on the previous book to make sense, and ends on a cliffhanger, though, so be warned.

like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 K.zsi rated it 4 of 5 stars

About the main character:
Easie character still good, still funny, and i think he is reasonable enough. He went threw an expectabel characterisation, but not too much, he is trying to help, but not headlessly. He is not a man who's willing to go against a hundred man, kill them all than brake the door just to save a princess, but he is a man who's willing to go at the backdoor, knock on it, and help people, giants and everyone.

I recommend this book. It made me laugh (not aloud, but a big smile)...more

like · see review

Aug 11, 2012 J4n3 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2012

Received through Netgalley - Review to come after August 25th.

like · see review

Nov 16, 2012 Karen Desmond rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not as gripping as the first in the series (less giants) but much more in the way of character development for Easie. Looking forward to the next one.

like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 Elspeth marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, arc, twenty-twelve, kindle, witty-banter, fantasy, put-aside

I just can't get into this right now, I am going to have to try later.

1 like · like · see review

May 19, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 12, 2013 Panu Yang marked it as to-read

Apr 20, 2013 Stephen Theaker marked it as received-for-review

Shelves: to-read-for-review

Apr 18, 2013 Sherri Sullivan marked it as to-read

Mar 30, 2013 Ана Хелс marked it as to-read

Mar 29, 2013 Bob B marked it as to-read

Shelves: default

Mar 07, 2013 Linda O marked it as to-read

Mar 02, 2013 Rob marked it as to-read

Feb 27, 2013 Lisa Pennie marked it as to-read

Feb 14, 2013 Barbi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Feb 06, 2013 Jonathon Henderson marked it as to-read

Feb 04, 2013 stormie KNIGHTrider marked it as to-read

Feb 03, 2013 Cindy marked it as to-read

Jan 30, 2013 Ros Jackson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Feb 03, 2013 Jordana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jan 30, 2013 Kevin marked it as to-read

Shelves: library

Jan 28, 2013 Lauren Hughes rated it 2 of 5 stars

Jan 26, 2013 Karen Black marked it as to-read

Jan 25, 2013 Chelsea added it

Shelves: books-that-i-own

Jan 18, 2013 Savedbygrace marked it as to-read

« previous 1 2 3 next »

See top shelves...

Books by David Tallerman

Haunted: An Anthology of the Supernatural

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Crown Thief

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Crown Thief
avg rating	preview: Crown Thief Goodreads rating: 3.41 (27 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13367167-crown-thief?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344619000l/13367167.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13367167-crown-thief?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Crown Thief by David Tallerman[/url]

Crown Thief (Tales of Easie Damasco #2)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (6)

Genres

Books by David Tallerman

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Crown Thief

Crown Thief (Tales of Easie Damasco #2)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (6)

Genres

Books by David Tallerman

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Crown Thief

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (6)