The Shadow Thieves (Cronus Chronicles, #1)

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The Shadow Thieves (Cronus Chronicles #1)

by Anne Ursu (Goodreads Author)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 2,561 ratings · 304 reviews

See that girl, the one with the bright red hair, overstuffed backpack, and aura of grumpiness? That's Charlotte Mielswetzski. And something extra-ordinary is about to happen to her.

Oh, it's not the very cute kitten that appears out of nowhere and demands to go home with her. It's not the sudden arrival of her cousin Zee, who believes he's the cause of a mysterious sickness

...more

Paperback, 424 pages

Published April 24th 2007 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers (first published February 28th 2006)

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Best Books About Mythology

64th out of 398 books — 775 voters

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Best YA & Children Series Involving Greek Myths

12th out of 62 books — 93 voters

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Jan 30, 2011 Dawn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, kids-fiction

I struggled to read this book, and I worked and worked to finish it. I just never could get invested in the story or the characters. I thought the only redeeming parts of the story were the sections that deal solely with Zee, especially while he is visiting his grandmother. The narration of the story gets tired pretty quickly. The author is too repetitive and wordy, and she tries too hard to be witty or clever. The book could use some serious editing, as I felt it should have been half the lengt...more

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May 26, 2012 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People Looking For A Violent Copy of Percy-Jackon

Recommended to Natalie by: my cousin

Shelves: hate-it, mythology, been-done-before, superpowers, ya, save-the-trees

All right, so here's another Percy-Jackson-copy-cat. The back cover is intriguing. It starts off as a typical grumpy redhead finds a cat. Yawn. Then, randomly, her cousin comes for a "vacation," during the school year, and apparently he has magical powers to kill people, and one time she falls in love with someone only to discover he's a bloodthirsty Greek monster. The writing doesn't flow, and the story winds on and on without ever coming to a complete climax: the whole time "shadow monsters" a...more

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Mar 28, 2007 Babs rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone and everyone

I don't read a LOT of "kids books" for the most part but because there are a lot of kids in my life, I do upon occasion and I'm pretty familiar with what's out there. One of the things I hated as a kid, and still do, was how books intended for that age group seem so condescending. The writing style of this book was NEVER that and included a well-advanced vocabulary and a great sarcastic wit in the humor that kept me entertained - even as an adult.

The kids in my life have read it and enjoyed it a...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Anya rated it 5 of 5 stars

First off, this cover is the best one there is for this book. Totally, 100 percent the best. It makes more sense and create a mysterious feeling in your gut. It was the cover of my copy and I like it better than the others.

I was gripped from the time I read The Shadow Thieves till.... well, now. Eeriness lingers in the air around you while reading the book. Or, is that just me?

Anyways, when my brother first suggested the book to me, I was like, “Ehh. It doesn’t seem like my style of book.” Not s...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Angie Chan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Time to Save the Dead: A Book Review of The Shadow Thieves

The Shadow Thieves Atheneum Books, 2007, 424 pp, $7.99
Anne Ursu ISBN＃: 978-1-4169-0588-2

You've probably read tons of books where the lives of humankind depend on the heroes. The hero has to go up against the villain, blah, blah, blah, ends up defeating them, and saves everyone's lives. Whoop-de-doo. But not this one. In this one, The Shadow Thieves, it's their afterlives that lay in the hands of Charlotte and Zee, two innocent teenagers,...more Time to Save the Dead: A Book Review of The Shadow Thieves

The Shadow Thieves Atheneum Books, 2007, 424 pp, $7.99
Anne Ursu ISBN＃: 978-1-4169-0588-2

You've probably read tons of books where the lives of humankind depend on the heroes. The hero has to go up against the villain, blah, blah, blah, ends up defeating them, and saves everyone's lives. Whoop-de-doo. But not this one. In this one, The Shadow Thieves, it's their afterlives that lay in the hands of Charlotte and Zee, two innocent teenagers, just like us, who have been left with no choice but to venture down to the Underworld, a place ruled by Hades, the third most powerful god, and where all the dead descend to, and endeavor to save all humans from an eternity of suffering after they die.

In The Shadow Thieves, by Anne Ursu, a book amalgamating the mythological Underworld and the real world, the loose shadow of Zee, a young boy in England, grabs the attention of a god hoping to take over the Underworld, Philecron. It seems that everywhere he goes, the children around him get suspiciously sick — everyone but him. Hoping that it is all one big coincidence, he escapes to America where his cousin, Charlotte Mielswetzski, lives to prove that he is not the cause of the illness. But, unfortunately, it does nothing but support his theory that wherever he is, that's where children are getting weirdly ill. After learning that all the unusual things happening to Zee involve problems that are boiling up in the Underworld, he and Charlotte head there, even though they know that Philecron's current goal has been to lure them there. Even with the knowledge of all the dangers in the Underworld, like consuming its food or encountering the terrifying monsters, they still jeopardize their lives by journeying down to the Underworld, where they will either help Hades keep his place as ruler of the Underworld, or allow Philecron to overthrow Hades and force the dead to spend eternity working and suffering. Will they prevail and save the afterlives of all mankind, or fail horribly, knowing that the agony of the present and future dead was their fault?

When I first noticed this book, what caught my eye was the incorporation of Greek mythology. I liked the way it was weaved into the plot. It didn't focus only on the traditional gods and goddesses, called the Twelve Olympians, like most books do. The way the book was set up made me want to read it unceasingly. The beginning made me very curious as to why certain things are happening, and once I find out, Zee and Charlotte are already on their exciting and dangerous adventure. I feel that this book is very similar to The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, which is another adventurous story involving Greek mythology and young boys and girls forced to be heroes.

I would recommend this book to young teenagers who enjoy Greek mythology. If you adore Greek mythology as much as I do, then you will probably like this book as much as I do. This is a very exciting, adventurous, and, sometimes, silly tale of the world as we know of and live in and of the mythological Underworld.(less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Kris Sauer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Started this book at the beach and didn't take long to finish it. It was a good diversion from the heavier non-fiction I'd been reading. As advertised on the cover, fans of Riordan's Percy Jackson series will find a lot to like in this book. Charlotte Mielswetzski ("Meals-wet-ski") sees her life as boring, boring, boring. Her mom is on her case to get more involved, which isn't working out very well. Then, a series of seemingly unconnected events turns her life more than upside down. She finds a...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was so amazing! It has to be one of my favorite books ever!!! I know some people dont like it because its " creepy " yes it is creepy but thats what makes it suspenceful! The writing style is great, and the book for me was easy to get through. I found it to be funny at times too. I grew really attached to the charecters. Charlotte I found i had alot in common with. Zee was very interesting and I really liked the kind of person he was. Mew I found to be very interesting and I really wan...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

At first I fell in love with the type of voicing this story had, with its intense sarcasm and all, but it grew a little old when the story didn't have more to offer. In the really intense, dark parts, the humor could have been more well-crafted. It brought me right out of the tension, and so later I had to think "Oh yeah, this is a scary part, I forgot!" and had to place myself back in, which shouldn't be.

The villain was also a bit cliche, and I would've liked more motive on his part. And charac...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Lesley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, juvenile, myth

There's a lot to enjoy in this book: sympathetic characters, good humor, and a rollicking good adventure--once it gets started. The only drawback is that it takes quite a while to get started. At least half the book is build-up to the actual action. Some Percy Jackson fans may not make it that far. Those looking for more Greek myths brought to life in the modern world will also be disappointed. They'll get some of the elements of the Greek afterlife and there's an interesting theme of the gods n...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Rena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anne Ursu's writing is a bit odd, it isn't quite "here" nor "there" it's sort of "everywhere". All your questions will have answers, and you'll have answers even to questions you didn't think to ask. The beginning, middle and end did not occur as they really ought, but then - where is the fun if you don't get to guess a little?

The humor and wit is soft and subtle, peeking and poking at the characters and their lives. I grew to love Charlotte - she's withdrawn, knows a good lie can go a long way...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Xulieta NeveraDeLibros rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

I'm a little disappointed with the book. I had heard good things about it before ordering and the synopsis was interesting to me so I was extremely keen to read it.

The cover is a bit simple and when I saw it I said to me "This is not a typical YA cover, this does not show nothing about the book and it is so simple, I do not like it but the sypnosis is good enough to give it a chance".

The writing style is ideal for a young adult novel and the book is written in third person with some paragraphs t...more

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Dec 10, 2010 PurplyCookie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-in-a-series, book-series, childrens-books, mythology

Forget heaven and hell, the Greek underworld isn't a myth! When it's time to leave the corporeal world, everyone makes the journey to Hades' realm, where they spend eternity as a Shade, first waiting in line to cross the river Styx, and thereafter roaming aimlessly. All is status quo until power-hungry Philonecron resolves to reanimate the dead with blood from the living, create an army from the shadows of living children, and usurp Hades' throne.

Enter Charlotte Mielswetzski, unwitting accompli...more

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Mar 30, 2007 Brandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2007reads, childrens, speculative-fiction, adventure

I have no idea why I expected this to be bland and uninteresting, and I apologize to the author for my supposition. Because it was engrossing, exciting, and funny. I enjoyed the characters a lot (particularly the surly Charlotte), and while there were a few little details that I called early on (the cat, for one), it wasn’t the predictable book I’d expected it to be. I’m curious about and eager for the sequel (due out in July, according to Amazon).

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Mar 17, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kate by: Teen Book Club selection

Shelves: teen-book-club, 2011, age-ya, age-middlegrade, fantasy

Charlotte's British cousin Zachary "Zee" is coming to live with her family for a little while, since there is some kind of illness going around his school. Charlotte's been noticing something weird going on in her school, where all the kids just seem a little... gray, bored, lifeless. Unfortunately for Charlotte, Zee is instantly popular at her school, where she's more of a loner. He's ultra polite to everyone, while she's more of a good liar.

When Zee meets the new English teacher, Mr. Metos, t...more

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Jun 22, 2007 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was fun, witty, and amusing. Charlotte and Zee go off on adventures that are so bizarre and different from the normal fantasy, because rather than futuristic, they're going into the past--far past! Some of Ursu's little bits and plots are pure genius and almost inside jokes (even if you don't know her!). Once you get used to the casual style, it's very easy to get sucked into the book, not returning until you reach the last page!

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Mar 25, 2013 Bodhi K. rated it 5 of 5 stars

03/25/2013

I recently read Anne Ursu's The Shadow Thieves. This book is about a fourteen year old girl named Charlotte. When Charlotte's cousin, Zee, comes over from England to stay with her because Zee's dad and mom are busy, so they made arrangements for Zee to live there. When Zee arrives in New York to live with his cousin, a mysterious illness occurs in the middle school right when Zee got there. When I read that part of the book I was thinking that it was weird that a mysterious illness su...more 03/25/2013

I recently read Anne Ursu's The Shadow Thieves. This book is about a fourteen year old girl named Charlotte. When Charlotte's cousin, Zee, comes over from England to stay with her because Zee's dad and mom are busy, so they made arrangements for Zee to live there. When Zee arrives in New York to live with his cousin, a mysterious illness occurs in the middle school right when Zee got there. When I read that part of the book I was thinking that it was weird that a mysterious illness suddenly came right when Zee came. Zee then explains to Charlotte that when he was in England the same illness suddenly occured when his grandmother died. Her grandmother's last words to Zee before she died was: "Me-tos". I think that is really weird because when someone says something like '"Me-tos" and doesn't explain what it means, is very strange. Soon Zee's whole new middle school has the illness and the students who have it were completely healthy. Also, only children had the illness. I think that it is weird that only children have the illness. When Zee came to America, he thinks that the illness is following him, but Zee does not have the illness. When I read that Zee told Charlotte that, I was utterly surprised. I did not know if Charlotte would believe that, but I know I do. Then Zee, and Charlotte find out that everything about the Greeks is real, and an evil minor god named Philonecron, who lives in the Underworld, is stealing children's shadows and making a shadow army to overthrow Hades. I think that if I was Hades and a shadow army was coming to overthrow me, I would run and hide even though I have special powers. The rest of the book is about how Charlotte and Zee fight off Philonecron's forces and save the Underworld. I can relate to this book when Zee comes to live with Charlotte. When I was three my cousins came down from California to Texas to visit. I do not remember much, but I do remember that I was racing with my cousins, and I tripped on a brick and I fell down, scraped my chin really bad, and almost broke it. I do not remember how it felt, but I can imagine feeling lot's of pain. I like this book because it is Action Packed, and World Building. When Zee and Charlotte arrive in the Underworld, they get captured by Philonecron and they try to escape and then the Climax happens. Zee and Charlotte escape and arrive just in time to save the Underworld. If you like books that are Fantasy, Fiction, Fast Paced, World Building, Intricately Plotted, Plot Driven, Attention Grabbing, Serious, and Descriptive/Richly Detailed books you should read this book! (less)

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Dec 11, 2008 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA/greek myth lovers

I Read this book to the kids, and it isn't half bad. So many books I read to them seem to skimp on editing, but this one is not bad, aside from the dialog tags, but that's the writer in me talking. As for the story, there's a great synthesis of greek myth and modern school kids. The idea of the door to the underworld being down at the end of the dusty, never-used hall in the local mall kills me, but then, it's so apt, isn't it?

The characters are believable and sympathetic, though I actually foun...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Shavier Martinez rated it 2 of 5 stars

I tend to be a fairly easy critic when it comes to my leisure and fantasy reads but this book, and series, just took entirely way TOO MUCH energy and focus to get through. Thats exactly what it was for me something to "get through", something to "bare until the end", in which the end always seemed so far away. I was looking for something to read during the summer last year in anticipation for the next installment in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan and stumbled upon this book with a...more I tend to be a fairly easy critic when it comes to my leisure and fantasy reads but this book, and series, just took entirely way TOO MUCH energy and focus to get through. Thats exactly what it was for me something to "get through", something to "bare until the end", in which the end always seemed so far away. I was looking for something to read during the summer last year in anticipation for the next installment in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan and stumbled upon this book with a cover review saying something along the lines of "For Fans of The Percy Jackson Series" and immediately thought to myself "I am a Percy jackson fan. This must be a book for me. Thank you soon to be extremely misleading cover comment." I was so terribly mistaken. While this series does have its roots in Greek Mythology that is about the only thing on the same playing field with Percy Jackson. The writing was choppy and while ive read in other reviews that it was too wordy i dont think that was the problem because it seems that the author was specifically going for that wordy, run on, sarcastic type of writing (like that last sentence). I think it was more the fact that the wordiness was actually very simple and never gave much to the sentence or ultimately the story which resulted in about 100-200 pages too much. Now I do understand that this is a childrens book and thats the reason it got 2 stars instead of 1 because im sure to my younger cousins and God son the writing, sarcasm, and attemptted wit likely hit its target. Bur for fantasy fans like myself who find ourselves dipping in the teen and young reader sections to satisfy our appetite the writing was just too much to get past, characters were bland, and the villain just simply got on my nerves.He felt more like a "baddie" from a captain underpants spin off than a diabolical demon from the underworld with a plan of world, and underworld domination. At the end of the day it missed for me in every way imagainable and suggest that this book along with the rest of the series should be given to the souls in Tartarus being tormented as punishment. (less)

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Jan 22, 2009 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mythology, young-adult, juvenile, read-in-2009

It was good, not great. Very Percy Jackson-like due to the use of teens discovering that Greek mythology is real, but not as complex or compelling. The 2 main characters are very likable, an awkward and strong-willed redheaded girl and her proper, athletic but shy British cousin, both 13. But the book felt like it was for slightly younger kids, a feeling emphasized by the larger print (nice on the eyes for a change) and the relative straightforwardness of the plot. On the other hand, using words...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Ahmed Elbashir rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Shadow Thieves is a book about a young girl named Charlotte and the underworld nearly getting destroyed. An irritable, sarcastic 13 year old girl. One day, her cousin Zachary (or as he's always called, Zee) comes over to stay for a while. Turns out that there was a strange illness going around his school and he left to get away from it. Later, they learn the truth that Greek myths are more than just that, and a evil demon/god named Phil is planning on taking over the underworld!
Personally,...more The Shadow Thieves is a book about a young girl named Charlotte and the underworld nearly getting destroyed. An irritable, sarcastic 13 year old girl. One day, her cousin Zachary (or as he's always called, Zee) comes over to stay for a while. Turns out that there was a strange illness going around his school and he left to get away from it. Later, they learn the truth that Greek myths are more than just that, and a evil demon/god named Phil is planning on taking over the underworld!
Personally, I like this book but only because of the craft and the characters. For a few examples, "Pay attention. Watch carefully, now. Look at the sidewalk, there. See that girl - the one with the bright red hair, overstuffed backpack, and aura of grumpiness? That's Charlotte Mielswetzski. (Say it with me: Meals-wet-ski. Got it? If not, say it again. Meals. Wet. Ski. There. You thought your name was bad?) And something extraordinary is about to happen to her."
Unfortunately, the mythology portion of this book kind of sucks. It's over halfway through the book where the mythology part really gets rolling, and that's the worst part of the book. Aside from there being magic spells and shadows turned into warriors (which has no base in Greek mythology), it's just not all that interesting. Unlike in Percy Jackson, the characters hardly interact with any of the mythological creatures or things at all. All they really do is look at them and make comments. The only 2 times in the mythology where they have any real interaction is in her conversation with Hades, and in her conversation with the old man on the magic pool of water. And that never really got anywhere.
That being said, the craft and the characters are what saves it. Our 2 main characters are Charlotte and Zee. Charlotte's an irritable, grumpy, introverted redhead who excels at lying. Zee is a polite, responsibility-taking, "it's all my fault so I have to do this alone" kind of guy. While I don't like Zee much, Charlotte's thoughts on everything that's happening and the way she looks at the world as a story is interesting. "'Once upon a time there was a cat with no home,' Charlotte whispered to Mew. 'And there was a girl with a home but no cat. But then the cat found the girl, and the girl took the cat to her home, and then they moved to Prague together and opened a coffee shop and lived happily ever after."
The antagonist is kind of weird. The antagonist is Philonecron, a weird demon man who's planning to take over the underworld. His personality is hard to describe. He acts human and tries to treat Zee as a son. He apparently thinks himself a gentlemen, he calls himself a realist, and he's also not very merciful. He's willing to do anything to reach his goals. There is decent character growth in Charlotte's courage growing and Zee's...well, Zee being nearly perfect doesn't have a ton of character growth. He does grow more self-confident throughout the course of the story.
The supporting characters aren't all that interesting. Hades is actually quite amusing but the parents and Mr. Metos aren't interesting in the least. Especially Mr. Metos. However, Charon is hilarious and probably my favorite character in the book. Chapter 16 is great and it's name, "Life Lessons from Charon" is perfect. "He traded in the most valuable commodity there was: Information. Information! Ah, how he loves having it! How everyone else wants it! You want to know what your implets do after school? You want to know what your minions say when you're out of earshot? You want to know who is building a shadow army to take over the Underworld? Really, he's providing a service. And if he happens to make a profit, to feed his family, well...can you blame him? Can you?
Actually he doesn't have a family. He's more the solitary type. Brooding. A loner. Plus, a wife and kids are expensive.
But he digresses."
Overall despite the terrible mythology, the craft and enjoyable characters save it. I recommend this book to fans of adventure and even fans of realistic fiction will find some enjoyment out of the first half of the book. Fans of epic fantasy not so much, as this book really isn't epic and it's fantasy element is the downside to me. Still a good read none the less, so try it out! As for the sequels, I've read the 3rd book and found it a bit meh, as at that point the craft and writing was less emphasized and it was more focused on the (still pretty lame) mythology.(less)

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Apr 08, 2010 Cinthia Palomino rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story is mainly about a girl named Charlotte Mielwetskii who lives with her parents who dont seem to understand her. She is an only child, an ordinary girl, whos best friend left the country but still has one more with her. Her cousin Zee has been causing a major desiese that seems to be following him around were ever he goes affecting everyone young around him except himself. Zees parents become worried and send him to live with Charlotte. Then after they see that Zee's deases did not leav...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Tiffo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: need-more-books-like-this

I thought this book was really intriguing, mainly because the type of humor it used was so refreshing. It's about this girl who's a typical "novel/book" outcast in her school, and her cousin comes over, foreshadowing a deathly illness called the "Pied Piper" disease. They discover it has to do with a creepy, minor, exiled god named Philonecron, who is messing with children to accomplish his evil thirst to be ruler of the underworld.
Generally, this book is not for young adults- it's really innoce...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Susan Christopher rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book introduces Charlotte and Zee, cousins and fellow adventurers who invade the Underworld and take on a half breed and Hades in order to save the world. Charlotte is vivacious and sharp and Zee is polite and brave, yet they have their difficulties in trusting each other at the beginning but soon learn that all they have is each other and the secrets they share in trying to discover why the children. Of the world are becoming soulless. It's book has an excellent premise but is a bit slow....more

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Jun 11, 2012 William rated it 2 of 5 stars

I honestly had a really hard time finishing the entirety of this book. I don't mean to offend Anne Ursu in any way, but this book wasn't up to my standards. I didn't get hooked on to the plot or the characters of the book until I got past the middle of the book. Honestly, I only bought this book because i thought it was going to be something like Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but it truly wasn't even on par with that series. Maybe I should give this book another try, but I don't see myself gi...more

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Mar 18, 2010 Mayakda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadult, fantasy, urban-fantasy, greek-myth, read-in-2010-03

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 07, 2009 Matt rated it 2 of 5 stars

Mostly I was very bored, reading this. It dragged on for a hundred and fifty pages longer than necessary, and I'll admit to skimming that fat.

Plot-wise, it was tolerable. Not as vibrant, intricate, or detailed as the Percy Jackson series. The characters suffered significantly from the drawn-out pacing, such that neither one of them seemed to have much personality despite actually doing some kinda cool stuff.

The tone irritated me, but it may also be the book's best feature; it reminded me forcibl...more

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Jul 03, 2009 Fashiongirlgoldberg rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. It had a pretty good plot, likable characters, and good humor. It wasn't quite perfect, I'm not sure why but some of the time I found gruesome (even though it really wasn't). But the was this one chapter that really cracked me up, it was called life lessons from Charon and it practically had me on the floor laughing. Scattered through out the book were lot's of other hilarious bits but that was one of my favorites. I can't wait to read book two. Oh yes, one other thing...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Warnie B. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, fantasy, young-adult, myths-and-legends

It took me quite awhile to get interested in this one; the wittiness got in the way a bit for me, especially in the beginning. It seemed like everything was described not in just ONE witty way, but in SEVERAL witty ways, and it ended up just feeling too tedious and like...well, just too much. However, once Zee finally made it into the picture things got a little more compelling. Comparisons to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series are probably inevitable, as they both deal with modern day Greek my...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Wren rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was reccommended to me a few years back as something to try next after Percy Jackson. At the time I read the first page and then placed it firmly back on the shelf. From the first words my back was up. Here are the first words:

Pay attention. Watch carefully, now. Look at the sidewalk, there. See that girl - the one with the bright red hair, overstuffed backpack, and aura of grumpiness? That's Charlotte Mielswetski. (Say it with me: Meals-wet-ski. Got it? If not, say it again: Meals. Wet. Sk

...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature, contemporary-fiction, fantasy, fiction, young-adult-fiction

A fourth-grader at school had been telling me that I needed to read this, and since our library copy tends to stay checked out, she finally brought me her personal copy from home. When a student is so adamant that you read a book that she hands over her own paperback copy, you read it! And I'm so glad I did. Definitely a winner for the kids who enjoy Percy Jackson's adventures. I actually liked it a little more than Riordan's series-- maybe because I'm a little burnt out on Percy and his gang; m...more

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About Anne Ursu

Anne Ursu's most recent book is BREADCRUMBS (HarperCollins/Walden Pond Press), a modern–day fairy tale for middle grade readers. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," BREADCRUMBS is a story of a Minneapolis girl who follows her best friend into a strange fairy-tale woods, and discovers there that fantasy is no escape.

Anne is also the author of the Cronus Chronicles (Atheneum), a...more

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Books by Anne Ursu

The Immortal Fire (Cronus Chronicles, #3)

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“But if you were Charlotte, and you had been feeling that life was some cosmic joke that had no punchline, and in the space of a moment you had gone from being Charlotte-without-a-kitten to being Charlotte-with-a-kitten, you too would have found it nothing short of remarkable.” — 15 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/332854.The_Shadow_Thieves?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1341558550l/332854.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/332854.The_Shadow_Thieves?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu[/url]

The Shadow Thieves (Cronus Chronicles #1)

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