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18th out of 63 books
—
15 voters
Thief of Lives (Noble Dead Saga: Series 1 #2)
by
Barb Hendee (Goodreads Author),
J.C. Hendee (Goodreads Author)
On the heels of Dhampir, Barb and J.C. Hendee's acclaimed Fantasy debut, comes Thief of Lives, the new novel featuring Magiere and Leesil, Slayers of the Undead...
Magiere the dhampir thinks that her nights of hunting vampires are over. After settling down in her newly adopted village of Miiska — now vampire-free, thanks to her and her half-elf partner, Leesil — she looks f...more
Magiere the dhampir thinks that her nights of hunting vampires are over. After settling down in her newly adopted village of Miiska — now vampire-free, thanks to her and her half-elf partner, Leesil — she looks f...more
Paperback, 410 pages
Published
January 6th 2004
by Roc
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Nov 28, 2008
Nathan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fantasy lovers, vampire lovers
Shelves:
reviewed-2008,
fantasy
I reviewed the first book in the series as a 2 star (not a great purchase) but thought that it showed promise enough to continue the series.
And there has been a marked improvement. While the characters are still a little two dimensional, they're improving in depth and there's a lot less inherent stupidity in their actions to drive the plot.
I'm actually fairly impressed with how things are starting to be set up for future stories. Everything seems to be building well with lots of foreshadowing an...more
And there has been a marked improvement. While the characters are still a little two dimensional, they're improving in depth and there's a lot less inherent stupidity in their actions to drive the plot.
I'm actually fairly impressed with how things are starting to be set up for future stories. Everything seems to be building well with lots of foreshadowing an...more
The author(s) of this book can't write a satisfactory ending. This is the second book in the series, and the second book in a row, that has fallen flat on its face at the supossedly climacitc finale. What makes it even more annoying in this book, was that this addition to the series was infinitely better than it's predecessor. Up until the finale I would have happily given it four stars, it was only the flat, boring, uninteresting ending that stole the thunder from this book. In the end, I felt...more
'Thief of Lives' and 'Sister of the Dead' continue to be my favorite of the Noble Dead Saga. Leesil and Margerie have been nicely developed by this point, and the books get into more of the exploration of the world they live in, the different kind of people and vampires they meet, and the beginnings of the overarching conspiracy of Margerie's existence as a Dhampir, a being half vampire and half human. We also get introduced to some characters that become important in some of the sagas later boo...more
Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Magiere, Leesil and Chap continue their adventures. One of the vampires from book one escaped and is now causing trouble in another town, Magiere has been called in to save the town. In the process she meets a new character in the book, a young scholar named Wynn. Welstiel re-appears and we learn more about him and his plans.We learn more about the Elves plus alot more about Leesils's history which was interesting.
Barb and J. C. Hendee have written two series in the...more
Magiere, Leesil and Chap continue their adventures. One of the vampires from book one escaped and is now causing trouble in another town, Magiere has been called in to save the town. In the process she meets a new character in the book, a young scholar named Wynn. Welstiel re-appears and we learn more about him and his plans.We learn more about the Elves plus alot more about Leesils's history which was interesting.
Barb and J. C. Hendee have written two series in the...more
Synopsis: It is two months after the events of Dhampir, which find Magiere (dhampir), Leesil (half-elf), and Chap the wonder dog, trying to rebuild their bar Sea Lion which was destroyed by fire in Dhampir. Strapped for cash after being asked to pay their share of taxes, Magiere and crew are forced into taking a job for the capital city of of Bela. The reason? A vampire has killed, or is presumed to have killed, the daughter of a prominent councilman along with others who have gone missing. We f...more
tl;dr version: Better than book 1, fast easy read, still comes in a bit long, but good enough to keep me reading the series.
An improvement over the first book, certainly. I agree with the other reviewers, it dragged a little and could have been rather shorter, but it's a fast and lightweight read already. As per the first book, Leesil is much more appealing than Magiere, who comes across as angsty and self-absorbed.
There's something odd when many of the things supposed to be causing mystery and...more
An improvement over the first book, certainly. I agree with the other reviewers, it dragged a little and could have been rather shorter, but it's a fast and lightweight read already. As per the first book, Leesil is much more appealing than Magiere, who comes across as angsty and self-absorbed.
There's something odd when many of the things supposed to be causing mystery and...more
After reading the reviews, I skipped the first book in this series. I'm glad I did, as the authors use every opportunity to rehash the events of the first book in the second. I only slogged through the first 6 chapters, and then gave up. Why? This novel reads like a high school fan fiction.
My primary problem was the characters. This is another book following the trend of telling the story from EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER'S point of view. And sadly, I enjoyed the inner monologues of the whiny 'villain...more
My primary problem was the characters. This is another book following the trend of telling the story from EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER'S point of view. And sadly, I enjoyed the inner monologues of the whiny 'villain...more
I've spent so much time reading modern urban fantasy lately that I had forgotten how much I enjoy a more traditional, dark fantasy novel. I can't believe that I reviewed the first book in this series, Dhampir, last December!
Magiere and Leesil are both very complex characters. Both of them are heavily influenced by their pasts which they have chosen to conceal from each other. This information comes out a little bit at a time and significantly impacts their relationship. While it is obvious that...more
Magiere and Leesil are both very complex characters. Both of them are heavily influenced by their pasts which they have chosen to conceal from each other. This information comes out a little bit at a time and significantly impacts their relationship. While it is obvious that...more
Thief of Lives
Barb and J.C. Hendnee
2004
Fantasy
In Thief of Lives, Magiere, the protagonist, is called to the city of Bela to slay some undeads that supposedly kills the head councilman's daughter. She refuses to go but her partner, Leesil, persuades her to go reminding her lots of money is at stake here. When they arrive, they can't seem to find a solid enough trail for Chap, Leesil's dog, to trace. With help from a sage, Wynn, they are able to find the house of the undeads. They have already ha...more
Barb and J.C. Hendnee
2004
Fantasy
In Thief of Lives, Magiere, the protagonist, is called to the city of Bela to slay some undeads that supposedly kills the head councilman's daughter. She refuses to go but her partner, Leesil, persuades her to go reminding her lots of money is at stake here. When they arrive, they can't seem to find a solid enough trail for Chap, Leesil's dog, to trace. With help from a sage, Wynn, they are able to find the house of the undeads. They have already ha...more
Wow these books are addictive. The narrative voice is contemporary, the characters are unique and complex, and I haven't run across the premise before...which in a fantasy novel is saying something. Another testament - It's now 11pm and as I set the book down, I briefly wondered if there were any bookstore open this late.
One of my favorite parts is how (hang with me here) there are some real-life considerations that you just never read in a fantasy book, like how to pay for things, or 'oh crap,...more
One of my favorite parts is how (hang with me here) there are some real-life considerations that you just never read in a fantasy book, like how to pay for things, or 'oh crap,...more
In the grand tradition of sequels everywhere, Thief of Lives is not as good as its predecessor, Dhampir. The difference is not huge; the two books are quite similar in quality. The authors make some improvements in worldbuilding, though the setting remains firmly "fantasy cliche" and they develop a sort of fetish with diacritical marks. The characters continue to be the main draw, as we discover tantalizing clues to Leesil's past and develop more complex villains (most of them are complex, anywa...more
While THIEF OF LIVES has a similar storyline to DHAMPIR I still enjoyed the heck out of it =) A surviving member of the first set of vampires from DHAMPIR has started his own coven in the capital city. He's not seeking revenge although he's still wary of Magiere and her team. While he and his new family are laying relatively low there is still some sloppy killing going on. After a councilman's daughter is found brutally killed, the town of Bela decides to call on Magiere to investigate and hunt...more
Thief of lives continues where Dhampir left off, Magiere, Leesil and Chap are now living in Miishka and running their own Tavern/Inn when a letter comes for Magiere. Seems the folks of Bela have been plagued with some undeads themselves, and some people have been getting killed. Bela needs help and has called upon Magiere and Leesil to eradicate the Noble Dead.
The writing style is the same, some good, witty quips some nice fighting scenes and plot twists. There was no downtime or lag that I came...more
The writing style is the same, some good, witty quips some nice fighting scenes and plot twists. There was no downtime or lag that I came...more
Not an easy book to rate. The quality of the writing is easily a 4 star. However, there is so much minutia, bogging the story down with endless conversations & background I really did not care about. Also, all the books in this series seem to end the same. One of the really bad guys who escaped in the last book in the series comes back to work his evil, and that is the story, with the addition of a new bad guy to carry to the next book. Interesting central characters, but they are remarkably...more
I'm going to drop back to 3 stars on this "installment" in the series. Not because I didn't enjoy it or because the story isn't pretty good. It's just that it wore a little thin here. The book runs 410 pages and I think might have been better at 300. There were just too many situations that sort "stretched" the story out. You know, you have a confrontation and as the killing blow is being struck "something" happens and the blow is just slightly off, the villain gets away, and we need to build up...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The second book in this "Buffy meets Lord of the Rings" series. This one started slow with some heavy recapping and I have to admit I got distracted and stopped reading for a while.
But when I got back into it things picked up pace. The book is less stand alone than the first novel and the ending clearly sets things up for the third book.
All of which may not seem like a glowing recommendation, but the series is growing on me and I'm quite keen to see where the characters go next particularly if...more
But when I got back into it things picked up pace. The book is less stand alone than the first novel and the ending clearly sets things up for the third book.
All of which may not seem like a glowing recommendation, but the series is growing on me and I'm quite keen to see where the characters go next particularly if...more
Barb and J.C Hendee's "Sister of the Dead" drew me in with the addition of a mystery to this familiar world. The story is an epic continuation to Magiere's coming of age story, filled with believable characters and surprising revelations. Leesil's past comes back to haunt him in the form of an elven assassin named Sgaile, who represents an opportunity for Leesil to undo the damage caused in his past. The ever-present yet enigmatic dog Chap is seen in a new light when the companions learn at leas...more
Once again this series impresses me with its ability to pull me into the story with its strength in plot and characters.
Magiere, Leesil, and Chap's continuing evolution is fantastic reading. In the beginning Magiere was a little annoying with how she refused to accept what she was. However, I understood her need to just live a simple life free from any vampires. With Leesil, who is my favorite character by far, Mageire has a great support system. His devotion to Magiere is sweet and makes me l...more
Magiere, Leesil, and Chap's continuing evolution is fantastic reading. In the beginning Magiere was a little annoying with how she refused to accept what she was. However, I understood her need to just live a simple life free from any vampires. With Leesil, who is my favorite character by far, Mageire has a great support system. His devotion to Magiere is sweet and makes me l...more
Mar 22, 2013
Angela
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
to-read-ebook
Thief of Lives is the second in the series about the vampire hunters Magiere and Leesil, by Barb and J.C. Hendee. In this one, we see that the duo has tried to settle down in the village they saved in the first book--only to discover that the phony reputation they've built up is coming back to bite them in both their asses as they're summoned to deal with a very real undead problem in the king's own city.
There were only a small number of things I disliked about the book, so I'll get those out of...more
There were only a small number of things I disliked about the book, so I'll get those out of...more
I found Thief of Lives to be about on par with the first book in the Noble Dead series. The story picks up not long after the end of Dhampir, with Magiere and Leesil living their version of domestic bliss, running their rebuilt tavern. As you might guess, that doesn't last long: the mysterious Welstiel sets the wheels in motion for another confrontation with the undead. In Thief of Lives, we learn more about our characters, especially Leesil and, yes, Chap. We find out a bit more about what make...more
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I am completely and totally sucked into this series. It's light, easy reading wrapped in an extraordinary landscape, with interesting characters that I care about.
I particularly like that the characters are dimensional, with flaws and challenged, damaged personalities. The lines between good and evil, lightness and dark, acceptable and uncanny are blurred and distorted.
The story is simple, with few real surprises so far, but told in such a way that you're carried along irresistibly!
I particularly like that the characters are dimensional, with flaws and challenged, damaged personalities. The lines between good and evil, lightness and dark, acceptable and uncanny are blurred and distorted.
The story is simple, with few real surprises so far, but told in such a way that you're carried along irresistibly!
Hmm... I'm not sure what to say about this book. I can't really tell if I liked it better than the last book. I have a few small picky comments to make, such as the fact that I noticed that this book seemed to be poorly edited (lots of common typos), but that's not a reflection on the caliber of the story.
I think I can't really say much until I read the rest of the series (which I plan to do). I will say that so far this entire series seems to be about misunderstandings and poor communication. A...more
I think I can't really say much until I read the rest of the series (which I plan to do). I will say that so far this entire series seems to be about misunderstandings and poor communication. A...more
I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or the beginnings of a repetitive plot twist, but the endings to both Hendee’s books have been very similar. Good guys show up, blast away a trio of vamps. One vamp escapes, vowing revenge. Next book, the escapee is back and has a new family. Vows revenge, etc. I’m hoping this won’t become a habit or it will get very old very quickly.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
In Book 2 of this vampire hunter tale, the behind-the-scene manipulation by the mysterious Welstiel comes to the fore, resulting in Magiere, Leesil and of course the fey hound Chap heading for the city of Bela to rid them of vampires.
I like how more details are being woven into the tale: hints about what is driving Welstiel, skeletons from Leesil's unknown heritage, the forgotten history of the world, and (what appeals most to me) the introduction of a vampire who is not a savage negative person...more
I like how more details are being woven into the tale: hints about what is driving Welstiel, skeletons from Leesil's unknown heritage, the forgotten history of the world, and (what appeals most to me) the introduction of a vampire who is not a savage negative person...more
Good plot. I read Child of a Dead God first (woops) before I realized there was a series. Then read the newest book, and back to this one. I was able to enjoy each separately, because of good characterization and interesting plots. I liked this better than Child of a Dead God - it was faster-paced, and had better scenes with Chane (my fav).
so far so good, i am getting into these characters, and wanting to delve more into the past that they come from, getting ready to start the next book in the series,i have them all now. I would recomend these to any that are into fantasy sagas of a sort. this has a nice twist on the same old scene I think someone stated that it is a mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lord of the Rings. I'd say that is a good assessment of it. Kudos to the authors for bring out a great story.
I'm a little bothered by Magiere's lack of personality, but the other characters pick up the slack on the characterization front for me.
I'm also annoyed by the long unpronouncable terms. If you're going to make up a word, why not make it pronounceable?!
The series definitely continues to improve, so hopefully the third book will be even better.
I'm also annoyed by the long unpronouncable terms. If you're going to make up a word, why not make it pronounceable?!
The series definitely continues to improve, so hopefully the third book will be even better.
I have one phrase for this book: and so the plot thickens....
It was a great adventure story, probably better than the last book. Magiere and Leesil learn more about themselves and the Noble Dead. They meet new friends and enemies along the way. It kept me interested from beginning to end.
It was a great adventure story, probably better than the last book. Magiere and Leesil learn more about themselves and the Noble Dead. They meet new friends and enemies along the way. It kept me interested from beginning to end.
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[See both BarbHendee.org and NobleDead.org]
Like most writers, I've worked at many jobs in my life, including teaching pre-school until I completed my master's degree in Composition Theory. Between 1993 and 2006, I taught college English while writing fiction on the side, some independently and some with my husband and life-long partner J.C....more
Over the years, we've lived in Washington State, Idaho, Co
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