Among Thieves (Tales of the Kin, #1)

Apr 12, 2012 Chelsea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, first-reads, reviewed, best-of-2011, awesome-author

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Good Reads First Reads.

I was torn between four and five stars, but opted for five. I'm not usually much for these sorts of gritty, who-double-crossed who type books, but this one was fantastic! The pace is quick enough to keep it exciting, but not so fast that you can't keep a handle on what's going on. I really loved the pseudo-Byzantine atmosphere and the relics. The author gives a great feel for a late medieval/early modern city.

Also, the au...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Kindle-aholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

A fantasy set in the city of Ildrecca, where the law abiding citizens and the criminal Kin exist under the control of the latest reincarnation of the immortal emperor. He's crazy, but so long as the Kin don't step too far out of bounds, they are able to go about business as usual. Drothe is a Nose, it's his job to ferret out information, get a handle on rumors, and make sure his boss doesn't have any unpleasant surprises.

Lots of action, intrigue, oaths, betrayals, good humor, fun characters. Lo...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, keeper

When it comes to fantasy novels- I've picked up my share of dragons flying through the sky, magic users, but never a crime center fantasy. Nothing in this book was cut or dry with like the lead, the reader is stumbling around picking up clues that end up very clever, deadly and always ending with some very surprising results.

Drothe is a Nose or an informant, whom takes care of trouble before it gets well out of hand for his criminal organization, but when he stumbles onto something bigger th...more
When it comes to fantasy novels- I've picked up my share of dragons flying through the sky, magic users, but never a crime center fantasy. Nothing in this book was cut or dry with like the lead, the reader is stumbling around picking up clues that end up very clever, deadly and always ending with some very surprising results.

Drothe is a Nose or an informant, whom takes care of trouble before it gets well out of hand for his criminal organization, but when he stumbles onto something bigger that all starts with a hidden message, and later a very valuable book he'll not only have his boss out for him, other bigger and two bad-bad criminal organization bosses know as the Gray Princes but the whole empire after him, unless he doesn't get killed in the progress and finds a way out of the mess before a full-scale war breaks out.

Drothe was the type of hero that grabs me, he's smart, but not a big badass, he's not some super-human, magic wielding user. At times I thought he was a cross between the Jacques Clouseau and someone with alot of dumb luck! Drothe had more lives then a cat, but unlike Clouseau, who really never knew what was going on Drothe, had a jest and followed the clues where they lead. In more often then not many of those whom were after the relic were one step in front of him, leading him into some tight sword-fights that had my inner fangirl swooning from all the action. The sword fights weren't pretty, and ended up with Drothe getting his butt kicked or him skimming out of trouble with the help of one or a few of his comrades or friend like Bronze Degan. Because of his imperfection and nine-lives and deep seeded sense of honor made Drothe very appealing to the reader.

The first chapter showed that Drothe walked the grey line, after helping with some bloody interrogation (think godfather,scarface) this pre shadowed two sides of Drothe, his criminal actives and the pity and hurt he had for the man whom he worked with and had to helped hurt to get information out wasn't something he had the taste to do. This gave the reader an insight into Drothe's characters and perhaps the human nature in all of us? I think author Douglas Hulick did an great job showing more of the working of Drothe as being a man then being a anti-hero. With is interactions with others and (my new crush!) Bronze Degan. There were alot of funny comments between the two that made the friendship that much stronger between the two when both had each others back. (Degan more so as Dorthe wasn't the best sword fighter in the land)

The bigger picture comes in small clues and not everything is given to the reader in one whack nor to Dorthe- whom like the reader does have some AH-HA! moments. Everything was very clever more so then the history behind the world from Ten Ways the baddest place to be with a much deeper secret to the Emperor having his soul split into three in order to be reborn again and slowly going insane from not being whole. The world was vast and the Kin had alot of politics playing behind the scenes like the Grey Princes. This isn't force fed to the reader but given in snippets through Dorthe's own monologue.

Everything was surprising and refreshingly new from start to finish and took the reader where sometimes just playing the cards your dealt maybe the only way your going to get ahead in the end.

"Let me tell you something about promises, their aren't blind, they aren't immutable, and the aren't fragile. I've seen more oaths and promises broken in the last few days than I want to think about, but I learned something about them in the process- you can't keep everyone one of them. No matter how hard you try, it's just not possible. So you have to choose, not only which ones you are going to keep, but how your going to keep them. You have to look behind the words, behind what you want them to mean, and see what they're really about.

It's easy to hold on to the idea of what the words meant to you when you spoke them, but that's not what it means to take an oath. A promise like that has to change as you change, and more important, it has to adjust to fit whatever the world throws at you.." -Dorthe

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Jul 30, 2011 Sarah Castillo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

Among Thieves is Douglas Hulick's debut novel and the first of a new series. This makes it very hard for me to review because debut novels and new series make me dance with glee and become completely illogical. But I'm going to try. For you.

Among Thieves, is, predictably, a Thief novel, but it doesn't do this in predictable ways. The city of Ildrecca is a dangerous, beautiful and organic place. Many books about thieves seem to make the entire city the play-place of criminals, with dirty alleys i...more Among Thieves is Douglas Hulick's debut novel and the first of a new series. This makes it very hard for me to review because debut novels and new series make me dance with glee and become completely illogical. But I'm going to try. For you.

Among Thieves, is, predictably, a Thief novel, but it doesn't do this in predictable ways. The city of Ildrecca is a dangerous, beautiful and organic place. Many books about thieves seem to make the entire city the play-place of criminals, with dirty alleys in every neighborhood. Hulick doesn't fall into this trope, some parts of the city are beautiful and pristine (to look at) and if thieves do their business there, they'll find out that they can be more dangerous than the dirtiest cordon in the city.

On organic settings, Among Thieves does a great job of bringing you into the world without giving you a geography lesson. It kind of reminds me of looking through a camera lens zoomed in all the way. First you see our main character, Drothe, then you see his friends and his home, and slowly you zoom out and the neighborhood comes into focus, then the city, and in the distance, the world and it's workings. It's very gratifying when these things become clear.

Which brings me to the part of the setting that could have really been a mess, by the author's own admission, and ended up bringing a lot to the book. The thieves' cant used in the book is inspired by real cant. I can see why some people might feel it's irritating, but I though it was fun when I was noticing it in the beginning and then it became a part of the world later on and I didn't notice it more than I notice the floor. That's not to say that it was useless the more I read the book, it just became "right". Much like a floor.

The book revolves around the main character Drothe, who is complex and likable, if not always very moral. He remains mysterious through much of the book, and some bits of him are still mysterious even after the end. (Looking forward to the sequel there!) There are several mysteries going on in this book, but some of the reveals about the main character really gave me a start. I'm not usually surprised by the way a character unfolds. Bravo, Hulick!

I can't seem to think about this novel without thinking of Lock Lamora, but the similarities pretty much end at the fact that they're both thieves. There's micro-plot, macro-plots and super-macro plots going on here, and unlike Lock Lamora, they're not based around a heist, which is what makes it defer the most from your usual thief novel.

However, if you liked The Lies of Lock Lamora or any other of the myriad novels about thieves and heists, then you'll like this book for it's creative take on the subject. Unlike many first books in a series, this one doesn't end in a cliffhanger, so I feel comfortable saying that you should pick this one up right away. You'll have a reason to look forward to April of next year for the new book!

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Jun 16, 2011 Samuel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fantasy

Disclaimer:- I swore when I signed up to this site I would be very tight with my 5 star ratings. Surely to get a perfect score the book has to be perfect, and seeing as that is impossible a 5 star rating should never be given. That said I just couldn't bring myself to give this a 4.

Among Thieves follows Drothe, a sardonic and intelligent nose, on what starts out as a simple job that goes rather wrong rather fast.

Among Thieves is written in the first person, this can be a risky move. When done w...more Disclaimer:- I swore when I signed up to this site I would be very tight with my 5 star ratings. Surely to get a perfect score the book has to be perfect, and seeing as that is impossible a 5 star rating should never be given. That said I just couldn't bring myself to give this a 4.

Among Thieves follows Drothe, a sardonic and intelligent nose, on what starts out as a simple job that goes rather wrong rather fast.

Among Thieves is written in the first person, this can be a risky move. When done well (see Eisenhorn (Eisenhorn Omnibus)) books written in the first person are compelling and damn hard to put down. When done badly books written in the first person are almost unreadable.

A book written in the first person lives and dies by its lead, they fall into two categories: Leads that are just close enough to a blank slate to allow the reader to project into them, a good example of this is Bella from the Twilight saga. The second category is leads that are so likeable we don't project ourselves into their place, we want to listen to their story, they are superbly characterised well written and rounded people. Drothe falls firmly into the second category.

Drothe is cool, there's no two ways about it. He is funny in a dry, witty Jack Dee way and most importantly, despite how farfetched the plot gets, he remains believable. In an age where the lead in an action book/film/programme/zoetrope has to be a superman it's refreshing to see a character struggle at times. Drothe is not untouchable once he draws his rapier, he gets through most of his fights by luck and relying on his infinitely more skilled companion Bronze Degan. It works, why would a thief and a nose, who does his job by staying out of trouble, be an expert swordsman?

So, we've established that the lead is cool, what about the story? You'll be pleased to hear that the story is also great. It flows well from the first act where we see what Drothe's life is like, to the second act where everything goes wrong, to the third act where he pulls it all together. At no point do you stop to think 'hey wait, how or why did that happen?'

The word in which the story takes place is also well written and very filled out with minimal expositional information dumps. There is one in the third act when Drothe meets one of the big players and they talk about the empire and the emperor, but it fits, because not only is it bringing us up to speed, but it is bringing Drothe up to speed as well.

The supporting players are brilliantly written as well, from the small time characters like Fowler to the bigger, more important people like Degan and Christiana. They are more than vehicles to drive the plot, they are people.

So, is this book worth your time and money? Yes. Yes it is. Simple as.(less)

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Jul 06, 2012 David Traver Adolphus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-fantasy

Alright, so there may be overly detailed exposition about swordplay that Capoferro enthusiasts can't entirely grok, but I really enjoyed this quasi-Renaissance world of street thieves involved in battles they can't hope to win.

Or can they? I appreciate that while the story of Drothe will clearly be continued (in a book currently mired in development hell), this chapter wraps up nicely. The twist at the end was a genuine twist, at least for me (although I admit I wasn't looking for one), and did...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Beefgir rated it 4 of 5 stars

this book really surprised me. the first few pages are just a torture scene, and have nothing of interest really. but it just climbed the steps in my head from tolerable, to slightly interesting, to pretty interesting, to good, to great, and then at the end actually left me wanting more. the whole book was just one big upward climb to the very end. lots of stuff was learned about the world. mystery's where uncovered. the whole thing just really came together and actually left me wanting to know...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Nick Mccavitt rated it 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy a tale that involves ne're do wells, rapscallions, and other scurrilous individuals, and that's why I interested to pick up Among Thieves: A Novel of the Kin. To explain..."The Kin" is what the collective criminal element in the city of Ildrecca are known as; they employ a hierarchical structure like any other criminal organization, with the Grey Princes at the top, the Upright Men in the middle, and people like Dvothe- the central character of the book- at the bottom. In the Kin,...more I always enjoy a tale that involves ne're do wells, rapscallions, and other scurrilous individuals, and that's why I interested to pick up Among Thieves: A Novel of the Kin. To explain..."The Kin" is what the collective criminal element in the city of Ildrecca are known as; they employ a hierarchical structure like any other criminal organization, with the Grey Princes at the top, the Upright Men in the middle, and people like Dvothe- the central character of the book- at the bottom. In the Kin, your title denotes your job, which corresponds to a certain part of the anatomy. There are Mouths, Ears, etc...Dvothe is what they call a Nose, specifically a Long Nose, and he does what that you'd think...pokes his nose into other people's business, ferreting out information for his boss.

In pursuit of one of these nose poking expeditions, Dvothe suddenly finds himself in possession of a relic that no one should be owning, and with a mysterious scrap of paper that only points toward a valuable relic that involves the Empire which rules the land and which both the Kin and the Empire would want to get their hands on. This places Dvothe squarely in the middle of a power struggle among the Kin, some of whom are vying for the book, others for powers, and others for a fight and, unfortunately, all of these want their own shots at Dvothe. Dvothe has to maneuver through these vying groups carefully as he unravels the clues for, if this situation goes on for too long, the Empire will get involved, and that could mean the end of The Kin itself.

All in all, I found this book to be well worth a read. Dvothe is not exactly a good man, or particularly smart. He's got a big mouth, often fails to be as cautious as he should be, and tends to fly by the seat of his pants. However, he does have some sort of internal moral compass still operating, and it's fascinating to see how it leads him through this dangerous state of affairs he's embroiled in. He's also a surprisingly sympathetic character, as he's the only one in the book who tries to do what is right for everyone, while many other characters in the book just try to do what is right for them. If you like gritty fantasy novels, I highly recommended this one.

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Feb 13, 2013 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy

Not what I was expecting. I went into this book with low expectations and this book vastly exceeded them. But I'm not really sure what I loved about it. It was extremely well put together and a very good read and I want to stay in the world and read more about it. I loved it. But when I try to analyse it, none of the pieces alone seem that great.

The world... was basically one city and seemed pretty much limited to a few streets of the city. There were essentially four locations that you really g...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Fatiimah_97 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read many great crime-fantasy novels, some great ones too, like byThe Lies of Locke Lamora, which was brilliant and witty. But Among Thieves had its own impact and stayed with me for a few days after I initially read the book. Hell, I still can't get over Drothe and Shadow and Solitude! I especially loved that Drothe was older, than in some books, (24 anybody?) and that made him level-headed which was always fun to see, as it made him more cunning and full of guile.

In the exposition of t...more I've read many great crime-fantasy novels, some great ones too, like byThe Lies of Locke Lamora, which was brilliant and witty. But Among Thieves had its own impact and stayed with me for a few days after I initially read the book. Hell, I still can't get over Drothe and Shadow and Solitude! I especially loved that Drothe was older, than in some books, (24 anybody?) and that made him level-headed which was always fun to see, as it made him more cunning and full of guile.

In the exposition of the novel, we see Drothe busy torturing a relic-hunter called Axel the Grinner. When I read the first line, my reaction was like, "WOW....I COULD RELATE TO THIS GUY" (Not that I torture people :p). All the fight scenes are epic, as Douglas Hulick is also a Renaissance Fencer, so he got the feel and mood of the fight scenes perfect. I could literally imagine the fight scene happening in front of me.

And now characters. I loved Bronze Degan. He was just brilliant and had a really dry sense of humour, which made me laugh out loud. He was a proud, haughty character at the beginning, but I could just imagine him and Drothe, and their friendship. It's obvious from the off, that Degan and Drothe were close and trusted each other. And as always this is tested in the book.
Fowler Jess was hilarious, well when she did turn up into the book, but it is pretty obvious to see that they have a "history" together....hahahaha!!!
Jelem just makes me go, "Haughty son of a-" but that's nothing compared to Baldezar, the
Jarkman-scribe, "£$"&@@~#|" :-p
Mendross, the fruit-seller, begins as a rather ordinary character, but there is steel behind that Ear. He also helps Drothe a lot.
Iron Degan made me anxious, for Drothe's health, but I was reassured when he no longer tries to kill Drothe, just watch him for Solitude. (The way Bronze Degan kills him, just makes me laugh)...(still...)
Solitude and Shadow are both Grey Princes, and are the general, "I'm out for personal gain," but there is a twist. Solitude, let me begin by saying, is a woman, and less cold (not being sexist here!) than Shadow, who is also a Mouth...Guess how that would turn out.
Nicco can just go take a hike, I'm still "OOOHHH, THAT'S GOTTA HURT!" what with the glimmered rope and everything!
Kells took some time to get used to, but he turned out to be a great father-figure for Drothe.
Christiana, Drothe's younger sister, at first seems like a real B****, as she's always trying to kille Drothe in her spare time, but she becomes very apt as you get to know her...Oh and Drothe loves her still, and can't bring himself to kill her.

Overall, this book was EPIC and had the right twists at the right times, and was short enough to keep me engaged and long enough to finish off nicely. I recommend it HIGHLY, GO AND BUY IT!!!!!
Its great, and I can't wait for the sequel. ~~It's 4~~ No, 5*s, no matter what. You'll love it ;)
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Nov 04, 2012 Joe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Among Thieves, apparently the best way to get information is to pretend like you already know that information, and just get the other party to react affirmatively. Crossing Over with John Edwards basically is how you find out everything in this book. The line "I didn't know, but you just confirmed it" was said maybe about a dozen times. I always focus on the negative. (I actually enjoyed this book a lot!)

Here's another thing. Drothe is a Nose. An information broker. He deals in clandestine comm...more

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Sep 03, 2012 D.w. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, reviewed

It is better than average, and could have been better still.

The problem that brings the book down is the hero and the author. (Naturally the author, he wrote it, and in the notes we find out what brings the book down.)

He is a fencer. (Probably an SCA Fencer) and while that should not generally be a problem, there are sword fights. A lot of sword fights, and they do go on. Right, I get that.

But our hero is a thief. One of the Kin. And these Kin have territories and our hero seems to be the intell...more It is better than average, and could have been better still.

The problem that brings the book down is the hero and the author. (Naturally the author, he wrote it, and in the notes we find out what brings the book down.)

He is a fencer. (Probably an SCA Fencer) and while that should not generally be a problem, there are sword fights. A lot of sword fights, and they do go on. Right, I get that.

But our hero is a thief. One of the Kin. And these Kin have territories and our hero seems to be the intelligent lieutenant of a mob boss of a territory. He is countered by the unintelligent lieutenant.

Our hero though starts to get involved as a pawn who thinks he should be and is a rook, in a very intricate plot of a handful of senior top level mob bosses who if they play too hard, the Empire has a history of squelching them.

So we have our hero, he is two rungs down from the players, and professes to have no ambitions, yet we don't really see his organization and how he makes his money. We understand him and are told that he is a Nose and that he uses Ears. Ears here things, and Noses sniff them out. Yet when we have our introduction to this system, our Hero the Nose is directly asking of one of his informants, what is going on. Thus he is acting like an Ear to my mind.

Our hero also has a private protective organization, but no sub organization within his own group. That doesn't make much sense.

The plot, is convoluted and the world is rather interesting, a few rungs below the interest of Scott Lynch and Locke Lamora, though the writer here claims to have been working on his novel longer then Lynch.

Again though, the fighting gets in the way of the entire story. Several writers have been members of the Reenactment groups and can bring their fights to a novel. They can last for pages and they can be good entertainment. Some of Hulick's work is good in that respect. But then, snore, here comes another fight, again, and it will last for too many pages. And then again, and again. Can not our hero, Drothe (reminds me of Rothfuss and Kvothe) use his brains and not have to fight, again. We want our heroes to act smart when they are spending all the time between these far too many fights talking smart.

If Hulick pays attention, what he is doing for a series might do better in future outings. If all he does is want to talk about his fighting career in his reenactment group, then the book is 100 pages too long.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review Brought to you by OBS Staff member Heidi

Beware of spoilers

Among Thieves is Douglas Hulick’s debut novel and the first in the Tale of the Kin series. This story is centered around the loveable scoundrel, Drothe, who does whatever it takes to survive on the dangerous streets of Ildrecca. He tries to keep his crime lord boss happy, and keep all the lower kin in line, while smuggling ancient relics on the side.

When Drothe tries to get answers from a kin that crossed him, he finds some papers...more Review Brought to you by OBS Staff member Heidi

Beware of spoilers

Among Thieves is Douglas Hulick’s debut novel and the first in the Tale of the Kin series. This story is centered around the loveable scoundrel, Drothe, who does whatever it takes to survive on the dangerous streets of Ildrecca. He tries to keep his crime lord boss happy, and keep all the lower kin in line, while smuggling ancient relics on the side.

When Drothe tries to get answers from a kin that crossed him, he finds some papers with unreadable symbols on it that sends him and his best friend, Degan, on the journey of their lives. Everywhere they turn for answers, leaves more questions in their wake.

Meanwhile, it seems that everyone is taking a shot at snuffing out Drothe’s life and it’s up to Drothe and Degan to find out who wants Drothe dead and more importantly—why.

And if that wasn’t enough to deal with, someone is organizing all the gangs in the hell hole area that Drothe grew up in and is trying to start a war so a new leadership can take hold of Ildrecca.

Then there is always Drothe’s sister, Christina, the Baroness, to contend with. But if you ask the people on the street, they won’t know what you’re talking about, as his relationship with his sister is a secret. It wouldn’t look to good if people knew the Baroness had a criminal for a brother. Can they work together to solve this mystery before their biggest secret is revealed?

Eventually, Drothe finds out about an ancient book that everyone is after and he tracks it down for himself. Now he has to decide what to do with it. Should he give it to the many people who want it or keep it all to himself?

This story captivated me from the very first page. You couldn’t avoid loving Drothe, in a Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow kind of way. There really is no comparison of the two characters, as Drothe is much smarter and more cunning than Captain Jack. But they’re alike in one way, you know they’re both bad, but you can’t help, but want to be bad right along with them, just grab on and enjoy the ride! I thought Degan was a great secondary character, he was likeable and you couldn’t keep yourself from hurting with him when he got betrayed.

As for the plot itself, you think you know what’s going to happen and then it turns you for a loop that you never saw coming, like the roller-coaster ride this story is. I think anybody that likes mystery, intrigue, and action will love this book. As I was reading this, I could already see the movie playing out before my eyes, I think Hollywood would love to get a hold of a screenplay like this, and us fans would love to watch it! I found this tale to be fresh and new, not the same story that’s been rewritten over and over again with slight changes. This is a new animal all of its own and I haven’t seen anything remotely like it before, and I doubt I will see anything like it again.

This story was much better than I expected for a first novel and I personally can’t wait to see what else Douglas Hulick has in store for us in the remainder of the series.(less)

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Feb 17, 2012 Jami Zehr rated it 3 of 5 stars

Among Thieves is the first book in Douglas Hulick‘s series Tales of the Kin. Drothe is the main character in Among Thieves and the book is told from his first person perspective. Drothe is a nose, among the Kin (think lower class caste), the person who hears from the Ears (spies/eavesdroppers) , avoids the Mouths (people with magical ability), and puts everything together like a puzzle and then reports to the boss. In Among Thieves, Drothe is thrown into the middle of political intrigue as the G...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Robin Wiley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Robin by: Robert

Shelves: fantasy, heist-novel, love-it-more-than-puppies

LOVED IT. LOVED IT. LOVED IT!

In a literary sense, if Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie had a baby, it would write like Douglas Hulick.

This was just great fun for those of you who love heist adventure, sword fights and general smart-assery.

Taking place in the city of Ildrecca, our anti-hero, Drothe (I know it's close to Kvothe, but this book started 10 years ago, so I think Hulick had it first)is an information administrator (a Nose)for organized crime. He is part of the Kin, which is the network o...more

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Oct 18, 2011 Sjhigbee rated it 5 of 5 stars

I’ll be honest – I get a bit blasé about claims that a new writer is ‘the best thing since Scott Lynch/Brent Weeks/Joe Abercrombie’ – all of which have been said about Douglas Hulick, who has been heaped with praise for his debut novel Among Thieves.

Hulick certainly went with the notion of starting this tale of nefarious dealings with a bang – a torture scene where his protagonist is the torturer. It’s a big risk. And a testament to Hulick’s writing skill that despite such a start, I ended up th...more I’ll be honest – I get a bit blasé about claims that a new writer is ‘the best thing since Scott Lynch/Brent Weeks/Joe Abercrombie’ – all of which have been said about Douglas Hulick, who has been heaped with praise for his debut novel Among Thieves.

Hulick certainly went with the notion of starting this tale of nefarious dealings with a bang – a torture scene where his protagonist is the torturer. It’s a big risk. And a testament to Hulick’s writing skill that despite such a start, I ended up thoroughly liking Drothe, who turns out to be a dependable chap – in a squirrelly, sneaking back-handed way…. The story is told in first person viewpoint. As well as getting to know Drothe’s interestingly complex character, we also are treated to a front row seat as this Nose is pitchforked into the middle of a plot with more twists than a corkscrew.

Hulick’s other strength is his depiction of the world. Ildrecca is wonderfully described, particularly the revolting slum that is Ten Ways. This is a complex world, with plenty of politics and religion, along with a magic called glimmer. However, we learn of it in manageable slices as the plot whips along – there’s no dreary two-page exposition. I also love the way that some of Drothe’s assumptions are completely undercut by the end of the book. In addition to Drothe, there is an entertaining cast of characters – as this is apparently the start of a series, I’m looking forward to seeing more of Christiana, Drothe’s enigmatic sister, who has managed to marry into nobility.

An aspect of the book that I particularly enjoyed, was Hulick’s use of language. This is something, in my opinion, not enough fantasy/science fiction authors consider sufficiently. It always grates with me when I hear a 20th century idiom roll off the tongue of an otherworldly wizard, or a posthuman character travelling faster-than-light. Hulick addresses this issue with his Cant. There are those readers who profess to have found it off-putting and claim that it got in the way of the story. I’m scratching my head over that one. Once I got into the rhythm of the writing, I found that I rarely had to stop and think about exactly what was being said – and if I did, surely it isn’t necessarily a major problem? If he’d made the whole language completely impenetrable, I could see why readers might have grounds for protesting, but in the act of picking up a book I expect to engage with it. As a reader, I do prefer an author who presupposes that I am intelligent and capable of joining up some of the dots myself.

The fight scenes are well handled – although if I’ve got a grizzle, there’s probably a couple too many for my taste – however that said, I’m aware that solid fans of this sub-genre really appreciate all the dashing and slashing with sharp, pointy weapons. And the major twist at the end was one I really didn’t see coming. All in all, for once I find myself nodding at the favourable comparisons with Lynch, Weeks et al… In fact, chaps, I think you’ll need to look to your laurels. If this series fulfils its promise – I can see newcomer Hulick being a real contender.
10/10
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Oct 16, 2011 Jacob rated it 4 of 5 stars

(Repost from http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2011/0...)
For many of us (myself included!), there's one book that we immediately think of when it comes to thieves in fantasy: Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora. So Among Thieves draws an obvious comparison - both are set entirely among criminal society, and both feature rather... enterprising protagonists-on-the-run. So the question here will have to be: is Among Thieves as good?

In many ways, yes. But first, let's get to what it's about: the thief. Dr...more (Repost from http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2011/0...)
For many of us (myself included!), there's one book that we immediately think of when it comes to thieves in fantasy: Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora. So Among Thieves draws an obvious comparison - both are set entirely among criminal society, and both feature rather... enterprising protagonists-on-the-run. So the question here will have to be: is Among Thieves as good?

In many ways, yes. But first, let's get to what it's about: the thief. Drothe, by name - a Nose, or gatherer of all-round information, rumours, conspiracies and everything else for an Upright Man: Nicco. And he rapidly gets out of his depth - like in Lies, there's the threat of war as we learn that somebody's plotting a gang conflict in a cordon known as Ten Ways. And with nobody willing to pull out, an Imperial relic missing, and rumours that a Grey Prince - one of the Kin's controlling figures - is in the driving seat, Drothe and his partner, a mercenary by the name of Bronze Degan, have a mess on their hands. In fact, it's much more than that: betrayals, magic (or 'glimmer'), and the history of the empire all play their role.

Drothe's a nice choice of protagonist: he can't be whitewashed, and he's grey at the best of times - and he's also remarkably good at what he does. A mix between a more inquisitive Locke and a sort of lower octane Dresden, in fact! At any rate, though he can't match Dresden himself, he doesn't lack for interest: his next turns never disappoint. Luckily, he's not the only interesting one. He's got a partner...

Degan, a mercenary. Though they don't amuse us as much as, say, the Dresden/anyone duo, or Locke's crew, there are still a few humorous moments: and what we can see of Degan makes him a nice touch. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast don't get their moments yet: nobody stands out as an engaging third or fourth in our character parade.

...Though we can probably let this go - this is a faster, snappier read than most fantasy, and like with the Dresden Files, characterisation of the full cast has to wait!

What about plot? Well, it's... Surprising - I'll say that! Drothe doesn't escape the consequences either (which, as I discussed yesterday, definitely ups the novel). Would I recommend Among Thieves? Yes - it's a small investment for a tightly plotted novel which reads like a younger Butcher writing fantasy crime. This is fantasy with an edge: fast, rapidly escalating, and for once actually makes us sympathise with the betrayer.

And that, people, is a rare thing! :P(less)

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Sep 17, 2011 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Drothe is a crook and a murderer living in the city of Ildrecca. As a member of the underworld collectively called the Kin, he runs a difficult life between meeting the needs of his gangland bosses and his own survival. He’s a ‘Nose’- paid to notice things in the city region of Ten Ways, analyse and put things together, keep an ear to the ground and pass on concerns to those who should be told.

This is a lively and very competent debut. Rising above what could’ve been a difficult sell – a man who...more Drothe is a crook and a murderer living in the city of Ildrecca. As a member of the underworld collectively called the Kin, he runs a difficult life between meeting the needs of his gangland bosses and his own survival. He’s a ‘Nose’- paid to notice things in the city region of Ten Ways, analyse and put things together, keep an ear to the ground and pass on concerns to those who should be told.

This is a lively and very competent debut. Rising above what could’ve been a difficult sell – a man whose life revolves around deception and murder is not often a character to like – but Douglas manages this difficult balancing act pretty well. For Drothe is an honourable thief, a murderer with scruples.

Mind you, he’s not the only one. Drothe’s friend since childhood, Bronze Degan, is a skilful fighter from a group with a fearsome reputation: something which Degan himself lives up to admirably.

So in this complex lifestyle of theirs, Among Thieves is told in the first-person from the viewpoint of Drothe.

There’s some nice world building. Amongst other elements, the Empire has an original set up in that the Emperor has his soul divided into three different personalities, each taking turns to rule but effectively leading to one eternal leadership until the Emperor is deposed or goes insane. There are some who feel the current Emperor, Emperor Stephen, is in need of eliminating.

This one rattled along nicely from revelation to revelation. We find that items are discovered that may have consequences for all of those involved. Drothe and Degan engage in a pact that will have implications for them both, and may indeed be connected to a plot to kill the Emperor. Unrest in the Kin-run areas of town lead Drothe and his compatriots being involved in a series of street fights, setting and avoiding traps for the unwary and trying to avoid being both betrayed and the betrayers of all they hold dear.

Parts of the book therefore move from fight to fight as Drothe tries to work out what is going on. The fight scenes are vivid and very well done, and should satisfy any fan seeking fast paced action, especially when Drothe himself becomes a target, for a reason he doesn’t know.

The ending is apt and just. There are some nice points made that will no doubt be expanded on in the next book.

This one seems to have gone by unnoticed a little, which is a shame, for it’s a debut that reads very well indeed. Though the reader may have a few qualms over an anti-hero whose lifestyle is based on dealing with torture and violence, Drothe has a bit more to him than you might at first suspect and the underworld of Ildrecca is appropriately murky. Think The Sopranos in a Fantasy setting.

A great page turner.(less)

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Jul 05, 2011 Tal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dont-own, sf-fantasy

Ildrecca is a dangerous city, if you don't know what you're doing. It takes a canny hand and a wary eye to run these streets and survive. Fortunately, Drothe has both. He has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers from the dirtiest of alleys to the finest of neighbourhoods. Working for a crime lord, he finds and takes care of trouble inside his boss's organization - while smuggling relics on the side.

But when his boss orders Drothe to track down whoever is...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Kai Mundwiler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good story. Good book. Great characters, especially Drothe.

I am a fan of crime fantasy, especially Scott Lynch's books, and it was nice to see another book that could fit in that category coming out. Don't read into that comparison too much, "Among Thieves" isn't a caper story like "Lies of Locke Lamora" or "Red Seas Under Red Skies" but more of a fantastical story where the protagonist's profession is one of crime.

Positives: Great character development. You get to know Drothe and some of the o...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, advanced-review-copy

I have to admit, I almost didn't make it past the torture scene on the first few pages -- I was afraid that this book would be like those torture-porn novels that drove me away from the fantasy genre for a little over a decade. Fortunately, while there are plenty of street fight scenes and occasional other violence, the sadism is pretty much limited to the first chapter.

Drothe, as is established when he participates in the above-mentioned torture scene, is not a hero full of sweetness and light....more

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May 18, 2011 Shanshad Whelan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'm going to give this four stars, because I think it's good, action-packed writing. While this isn't a contemporary story, it is an urban fantasy set in a crime infested city in a corrupt empire. Drothe is one of the Kin--the criminal community that live and work in this city. But when he comes into possession of an item that powerful individuals are after, Drothe suddenly finds his life becoming way too exciting for his taste!

The story is very gritty and full of violence and death, though not...more I'm going to give this four stars, because I think it's good, action-packed writing. While this isn't a contemporary story, it is an urban fantasy set in a crime infested city in a corrupt empire. Drothe is one of the Kin--the criminal community that live and work in this city. But when he comes into possession of an item that powerful individuals are after, Drothe suddenly finds his life becoming way too exciting for his taste!

The story is very gritty and full of violence and death, though not particularly gory. Our protagonist is put through the wringer in this story! While I'll give this book 4 stars, I do have some problems with this book, and one of them comes right at the opening. What goes in the first few paragraphs introducing a character sets the tone for that character. We find Drothe trying to pry information out of a man he's having tortured. This one image made it difficult for me to like Drothe the rest of the story. Having your protagonist torture a man for information (even if through a third party), especially when said information is for financial gain just tarnishes them in a way few other things would. Drothe kills, betrays and lies throughout the rest of the story, but it's all in keeping with his world and his situation. It may be very real that Drothe would routinely torture someone, but setting it in the story when the point at the end is that Drothe is somehow "honorable" just seems unnecessary. It left a sour taste in my mouth for Drothe for the rest of the story, no matter what else he did. Other than this fact, I would have liked to know more about Drothe's background, though it wasn't strictly necessary. What I did like about Drothe is that he's not a superhuman fighter, when he fights and figures things he's still a human being.

Reminds me of The Lies of Locke Lamora in setting and characters. The gritty action and ability of the protagonist to get himself enmeshed in conspiracies with enemies coming at him from all sides reminds me of Butcher's Harry Dresden. Those who like the Dresden books might enjoy this. I'll likely look for the next one.(less)

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Jan 09, 2011 Marc Aplin rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone who likes Dark, Gritty and Action-Packed Fantasy

Fantasy in 2010 is different than it was 20-30 years ago. Gone are the days when the genre is filled with whiter than white characters that take on quests for the greater good. We have had far, far too many of those over the years...

In the last few years novels such as Brandon Sanderson's; Mistborn, Scott Lynch's; Lies of Locke Lamora, Brent Weeks'; Night Angel Trilogy and Joe Abercrombie's; First Law Trilogy have taken fantasy to new places. In these novels we meet dark characters, who murder,...more

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May 24, 2011 Wm rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-and-fantasy

A wonderful, albeit slightly derivative (see: Brust's Vlad Taltos and Lynch's Locke Lamorra series), tightly plotted, beautifully prosed, layered first in a series book. The hero is an information broker (or Nose in thieve's cant, which is used copiously but not annoyingly, adding flavor and preciseness rather than distracting) and a thief for a mob (the Kin) boss in a teeming, districted city in a Renaissance-level society (with some but not over-abundant magicks). He also smuggles relics on th...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Dilpreet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Among Thieves (Tales of the Kin, #1) by Douglas Hulick

It’s a debut novel by Douglas Hulick & first one of the series ‘Tales of the Kin’.

You would need to invest some time & read the first 5 chapters to get a hang of the settings & story.
It’s a gripping tale that’s set in a fantasy land where-in there two parallel societies are co-existing, i.e. the Imperial Kingdom with a reincarnating king & a society of criminals known as the Kin. The story revolves around a character Dorthe...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Jared rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy

Drothe, the Nose (intelligence collector/disseminator, of sorts) for a crime lord, lives in the Empire's capital city and under the rule of the cycle-of-three Emperor. The novel picks up with Drothe finding himself thrust into a recent increase in killings among the Kin (criminals).

This book was not bad, but not one that I would strongly recommend to people. The main issue that I had was the lack of proactiveness on the part of the protagonist. For the first third of the book, things are just ha...more

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Mar 31, 2012 My Awful Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Among Thieves was absolutely great. A fun book from start to finish, and I'm excited for more. Wow, I guess I jumped the shark there. Let's start with the blurb from Amazon.

Drothe has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers in the employ of a crime lord while smuggling relics on the side. But when an ancient book falls into his hands, Drothe finds himself in possession of a relic capable of bringing down emperors-a relic everyone in the underworld would kill...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Simon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Being a new author, I'm sure there are a ton of pressure to make a good first impression. If you fail to capture the audience attention, they may not come back the second time around and so it's imperative an author gets it right the first time. Well, Among Thieves definitely passed the test. This wacky and fun fantasy book will definitely have you flipping the pages one after another.

First off, I got to give credit to the author. This book is written entirely from Drothe's first person point-of...more Being a new author, I'm sure there are a ton of pressure to make a good first impression. If you fail to capture the audience attention, they may not come back the second time around and so it's imperative an author gets it right the first time. Well, Among Thieves definitely passed the test. This wacky and fun fantasy book will definitely have you flipping the pages one after another.

First off, I got to give credit to the author. This book is written entirely from Drothe's first person point-of-view and in my opinion, it's not something every author can pull off, especially this being his first book. But I have to hand it to him because Douglas Hulick definitely knows what he's doing. Many a times, a first person view can wear out the reader, especially when the entire book consists of the same POV from only that one main character, because the character just isn't interesting enough. That's why many times when a author chooses to go the POV route, he/she switches between characters throughout the chapters to keep things fresh. Among Thieves stays in Drothe's first person view throughout the entire book and for the author to make it work, more kudos to him. Drothe, being the main protagonist, is definitely an interesting character. He's sort of a coward but not really in a way that when its time to get things done, he springs to action. There's also a sense of humor about him and you'll definitely catch bits of pieces here and there that will give you a light chuckle.

The story with Among Thieves is definitely engaging. Many times, the story takes on a detective twist as Drothe sets out on numerous outings to find the answers he's looking for. This is not an epic-fantasy novel in my opinion. However, the author still manages to build a pretty interesting world for the story and his characters. This is what I respect about good authors. While they don't have the time (or want) to spend chapters after chapters describing the lay of the land to the readers, they still somehow manage to put pieces and here there to give you the overall picture and for books such as these, it works perfectly well. While the main focus is on Drothe finding an ancient book that everyone wants to get their hands on, its the trials and tribulations that Drothe faces that makes reading the book fun. Him constantly slipping in and out of danger, having to answer to his mob bosses, constantly making enemies for himself and making many important decisions that usually involve saving his own behind is what makes Drothe a fun character to follow along with. Action wise, Among Thieves seems pretty balanced out. You have your usual steel blade fights with a bit of magic tossed in from time to time.

Among Thieves is definitely a great start to what looks to be an exciting series. If you've read many epic-fantasy novels or is still doing so, Among Thieves is a great escape if you're looking for a change of pace.

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If you love Among Thieves, I personally recommend also reading:

The Lies of Locke Lamora(less)

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Mar 20, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

I was very excited to receive Among Thieves as part of the Librarything Early Reviewers program. I was not disappointed.

Among Thieves is an action-packed romp through a fantasy city known as Ildrecca. The main character, Drothe, is a rogue, gathering information for his crime lord and collecting relics as a sort of hobby. Then a particular relic enters his life and turns it upside down. He has to choose between promises and friendship, doing the right thing or the easy thing.

One of the biggest...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Jacen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Lies of Locke Lamora, fantasy fans who like it a bit darker

Shelves: 2013-reads, fantasy, 2013-fantasy

So I'd heard abit of a ruckuss about how good this book was for awhile now and finally decided to get around to reading it and I have to say the regret is that I waited at all. Everything I heard about how good this tale is was right on the money.

Gone are the days when fantasy novels involve a mere nod to a campesque "theives guild" with a bad reputation and good connections. You may have noticed a tendency in fantasy lately to expose a darker more underground and rebellious side of people. Thi...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
confused	1	17	Nov 27, 2012 08:15am
Plot hole (Iron Degan and Bronze Degan)?	8	46	May 13, 2012 09:51am
Interview with author Douglas Hulick	1	22	Jan 05, 2011 07:02am

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Among Thieves (Tales of the Kin #1)

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