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The Thief
(The Queen's Thief #1)
by
The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king's prison. The magus is interested only in the thief's abilities.
What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly ...more
What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly ...more
Library Binding, 220 pages
Published
January 28th 1998
by San Val
(first published October 31st 1996)
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Start your review of The Thief (The Queen's Thief, #1)

Dec 08, 2009
Tatiana
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Tatiana by:
Kristin Cashore
Update 12/29/2018
Clearly I can never get tired of Megan Whalen Turner’s stories and Gen’s refreshing petulance.
Update 6/2011. Let me just say, if you feel so-so about this book (like I did), please give its sequel - The Queen of Attolia - a try. It made me forever and ever a dedicated fan of the series.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it, but I think I spoiled the experience for myself a little bit.
(view spoiler) ...more
Clearly I can never get tired of Megan Whalen Turner’s stories and Gen’s refreshing petulance.
Update 6/2011. Let me just say, if you feel so-so about this book (like I did), please give its sequel - The Queen of Attolia - a try. It made me forever and ever a dedicated fan of the series.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it, but I think I spoiled the experience for myself a little bit.
(view spoiler) ...more


My main reason for reading The Thief was so I could read the sequel - The Queen of Attolia - that I've heard is superb and far better than this first installment. I actually set myself up for quite an underwhelming experience with this book based on reviews and the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of more traditional fantasy with magical realms and such (I never could stand The Lord of the Rings). However, the story was interesting, the writing excellent and the protagonist was a witty, dev ...more

a summary of this book in 20 words or less:
first half - an obscenely long journey where literally nothing happens.
second half - item stolen and it all. kicks. off.
as you can tell from my quick summary, the second half of this book is where its at. if you manage to get through the most boring horse ride in fictional history, then you will be well rewarded. you will get prison escapes, hot pursuits, clever planning, and not to mention more gen. i really liked gen. my goodness, he was charming. he ...more
first half - an obscenely long journey where literally nothing happens.
second half - item stolen and it all. kicks. off.
as you can tell from my quick summary, the second half of this book is where its at. if you manage to get through the most boring horse ride in fictional history, then you will be well rewarded. you will get prison escapes, hot pursuits, clever planning, and not to mention more gen. i really liked gen. my goodness, he was charming. he ...more

The Thief is the first book in one of my favorite YA series EVER, with just a touch of Greek mythology-inspired fantasy to it. It can be just a little hard to get into at first, but the payoff at the end is brilliant, and the world-building is fantastic. Stick with it through at least the first three books and you won't regret it. Avoid spoilers.
Review originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
Megan Whalen Turner’s award-winning 1996 YA fantasy The Thief, set in a fantasy world that has very stro ...more
Review originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
Megan Whalen Turner’s award-winning 1996 YA fantasy The Thief, set in a fantasy world that has very stro ...more

Gen is a thief. The story begins with him being rescued from prison by the King's Magus in order to help him steal an object of political power that is so historically obscure it is almost considered a myth.
So there's a lot I didn't enjoy here.
To begin with, this book is mostly composed of a very, very, very long travelling sequence. Now, I should take this opportunity to point out that I don't dislike journey stories. In fact, one of my all time favorite novels is The Lord of the Rings, which i ...more
So there's a lot I didn't enjoy here.
To begin with, this book is mostly composed of a very, very, very long travelling sequence. Now, I should take this opportunity to point out that I don't dislike journey stories. In fact, one of my all time favorite novels is The Lord of the Rings, which i ...more


Huh. I really, really liked this? True enough, I've decided to start The Thief in order to get to the sequels - that all my friends adore - and somehow I was at peace with the probable boredom I would feel during this first novel and... My enjoyment felt so effortless? From the characters to the world and the writing, I've been enchanted. Truly.
"I hate horses. I know people who think that they are noble, graceful animals, but regardless of what a horse looks like from a distance, never f...more

Feb 23, 2018
Iryna *Book and Sword*
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya-fantasy,
waste-of-paper
1.5/5 stars
Good riddance!!!
I must have read a different book than everybody else had because I cannot for the life of me comprehend how this book has won any literal awards.
As an avid fantasy reader I can tell you that this book is as close to a "riveting fantasy novel" as flour is to being a spice.
Why flour you ask?
Beuase it reminds me of this book - dry, bland and boring.
And I really tried to tie this book all of the chances I could. I wanted to dnf it after 30 pages, but:
1. I was told th ...more
Good riddance!!!
I must have read a different book than everybody else had because I cannot for the life of me comprehend how this book has won any literal awards.
As an avid fantasy reader I can tell you that this book is as close to a "riveting fantasy novel" as flour is to being a spice.
Why flour you ask?
Beuase it reminds me of this book - dry, bland and boring.
And I really tried to tie this book all of the chances I could. I wanted to dnf it after 30 pages, but:
1. I was told th ...more

This felt like such a classic fantasy novel. You know those 2005-era books about journeys that you liked for some inexplicable reason? Yeah. That kind. Except with really good worldbuilding and a lot of potential built up.
This novel follows Gen, a thief hired by a magus of Sunis to find a stone that gives the holder the right for rulership of Eddis.
➽Sunis - the king’s county, attempting to take over Eddis
➽Eddis - the country across, a country they must overtake
➽Attolia - a country lying in betw ...more
This novel follows Gen, a thief hired by a magus of Sunis to find a stone that gives the holder the right for rulership of Eddis.
➽Sunis - the king’s county, attempting to take over Eddis
➽Eddis - the country across, a country they must overtake
➽Attolia - a country lying in betw ...more

Sep 09, 2020
Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition

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I actually read this for the first time as a child back when it was still a standalone and I remember my edition had a really cheesy, cartoonish cover. THE THIEF is a book that won't appeal to everyone, and even as a child, I had difficulty getting into it. For one thing, it's one of those fantasy novels that revolves around journeys, which I know isn't everyone's cup of tea. For another, it's very slow-paced and mostly character-driven. ...more

This was another book my wife insisted that I read. It was our before-bed read aloud book last month.
Reading 10-15 pages a night, the first half of the book was enjoyable, but unfolded rather slowly. I was a bit puzzled about why my wife was so enthusiastic about the book. Then, about half way through, the excitement and tempo increased a few notches, and it become a real page-turner.
This is a fantasy novel, but it is not your typical swords and sorcery adventure. There are swords, and even a co ...more
Reading 10-15 pages a night, the first half of the book was enjoyable, but unfolded rather slowly. I was a bit puzzled about why my wife was so enthusiastic about the book. Then, about half way through, the excitement and tempo increased a few notches, and it become a real page-turner.
This is a fantasy novel, but it is not your typical swords and sorcery adventure. There are swords, and even a co ...more

Yes, it starts off slower than molasses. Yes, you will be perfectly misdirected by Ms Turner. Yes, you will wish to set it aside for these reasons....more
And all I can say is, Don't.
Persevere.
Because you absolutely need to read this book in order to get to the sequel, The Queen of Attolia, which is one of my fave books as well as having one of the best male protagonists of all time. Seriously, I love Gen to bits.
Read this series.

Jul 18, 2013
Lois Bujold
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Lois by:
e-mail correspondent years ago who loved it so much she mailed me a copy
Having dutifully tried a few new things to my lack of satisfaction this past week, I turned instead to an old favorite that I knew would be a pleasurable read. This is a book that re-repays a re-re-read, not only soon, but after finishing its sequels once they widen one's view of its world and characters.
There is not too much one can say about The Thief that is not a spoiler, and this is a book that should NOT be read with preconceptions. Set in an alternate fantasy world loosely inspired by Gre ...more
There is not too much one can say about The Thief that is not a spoiler, and this is a book that should NOT be read with preconceptions. Set in an alternate fantasy world loosely inspired by Gre ...more

I can't say this book is bad but it isn't great either. The main downsides are boring interactions, a dull protagonist, and a plot I couldn't care less about. Nothing even slightly exciting happens. The start reminds me a bit of the Throne of Glass series and that's the only remarkable thing about this book. I'm not even a big fan of Throne of Glass.
A thief named Gen got out of jail in order to help a Magus steal an ancient treasure. When the identity of the thief is finally revealed I was occas ...more
A thief named Gen got out of jail in order to help a Magus steal an ancient treasure. When the identity of the thief is finally revealed I was occas ...more

May 21, 2009
Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fantasy lovers
Recommended to Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books) by:
Beanbag Love
What do you do when you want to gain possession of something that's nearly impossible to obtain? You hire a thief who can steal just about anything.
Gen has no disillusions about his abilities as a thief. He's actually named after the god of thieves, Eugenides, as a matter of fact. While his father wanted him to be a soldier, he knew that was not the life for him. Instead, he honed his skills at stealing, until he was one of the best in the land. Too bad he did a little too much bragging about st ...more
Gen has no disillusions about his abilities as a thief. He's actually named after the god of thieves, Eugenides, as a matter of fact. While his father wanted him to be a soldier, he knew that was not the life for him. Instead, he honed his skills at stealing, until he was one of the best in the land. Too bad he did a little too much bragging about st ...more

This book seemed promising but I ended up a bit underwhelmed.
I'm still planning on continuing the series since it apparently gets better! ...more
I'm still planning on continuing the series since it apparently gets better! ...more

Dec 09, 2014
Robin (Bridge Four)
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Robin by:
Kerry *Pale Daughter*
Buddy read with some friends at
Buddies Books and Baubles
EVERYONE told me not to expect much from this book and to be patient. They said the beginning isn’t very good but the second half is pretty good and the next two books are amazing…so just hang in there. Well I found that to be true and false at the same time.
It is true the second half of this book is much more interesting ...more
I am a master of foolhardy plans, I thought. I have so much practice I consider them professional risks.
EVERYONE told me not to expect much from this book and to be patient. They said the beginning isn’t very good but the second half is pretty good and the next two books are amazing…so just hang in there. Well I found that to be true and false at the same time.
It is true the second half of this book is much more interesting ...more

A thief sprung from jail to help a Magnus steal an ancient treasure, warring kingdoms, political intrigue, sword fights, narrow escapes,a mythology invented especially for this fictional place, and a quest--everything, it would seem, to keep me reading. So I am wondering why I so disliked this book that I had to force myself to keep reading to the end. I think I hit upon the answer spoken by one of Turner's characters near the last weary lap of the book: "Oh, fine," I told him...but I didn't rea
...more

2 Stars and a mini review because I am the worst
Cons:
- Super straight forward writing style that was unbelievably boring
- Forgettable plot
- Forgettable characters
- An MC who doesn't take things seriously but also isn't funny
Pros:
- The last three pages
- seriously they make it seem like this book was one really long prologue
Overall:
*shrugs* 🤷🏻♀️
Read with my split-soul, Mary! 💖
(I will tag when not on mobillleeee) ...more
Cons:
- Super straight forward writing style that was unbelievably boring
- Forgettable plot
- Forgettable characters
- An MC who doesn't take things seriously but also isn't funny
Pros:
- The last three pages
- seriously they make it seem like this book was one really long prologue
Overall:
*shrugs* 🤷🏻♀️
Read with my split-soul, Mary! 💖
(I will tag when not on mobillleeee) ...more

this is one of those books where I liked it, and then I didn't like it, and then I was gonna dnf it, and then I liked it again, and then I was bored again, and then all of a sudden I loved it Essentially, a really big rollercoaster of emotions. Overall coming out of this I do feel it was a positive experience hence a three star rather than two, but there was some close calls.
I started this because I LOVE thief stories. I will continue to keep reading stories about thieves and heists until the d ...more
I started this because I LOVE thief stories. I will continue to keep reading stories about thieves and heists until the d ...more

I started this in the cold winter of 2017 and finished it in the harsh political climate of Trump and Brexit in February 2019. Everyone says the sequels are superb, which is the only reason I pushed on. But boy, was it tedious. 80% of it is traveling and Gen whinging about wanting three meals a day. Despite all the footwork though, I don't have a good handle on this fictional world or its culture.
Here's to The Queen of Attolia stepping up its game. ...more
Here's to The Queen of Attolia stepping up its game. ...more

I'm giving up on this one. It's not BAD, just...excruciatingly BORING. To me, anyway. I found the main character obnoxious and all the other characters underdeveloped and uninteresting, and over half way through the book, nothing's really happened--they've started their journey, and then traveled, and traveled, and traveled, and traveled, and traveled, and...you get the picture. I've heard really good things about this series, and maybe at some point in the future I'll give it another try. But I
...more

The Thief deserves more stars than I am giving it. It’s a wonderful and captivating story about a thief who is freed from prison to steal something only heard of in a fairy tale for the king. This task is basically the road to his freedom. So what choice does he have but to take the offer? It’s either this…or spend his days in prison in suffering and torture.
Our protagonist, Gen, is so full of wits. I found his personalty to be the best part of the story. From his sarcastic comments to his brood ...more
Our protagonist, Gen, is so full of wits. I found his personalty to be the best part of the story. From his sarcastic comments to his brood ...more

11/25 (44%) 2 stars.
(German version below)
I like reading massively long, intricately built books. With those, I'm willing to read some pages where nothing happens and neither the story nor the characters evolve. However, this isn't a long book, but a very short one. Not even 300 pages in total - and yet, for 150 pages, nothing at all happens.
Oh sure, we get to know the characters, and some sort of a rather disappointing road movie of a quest, but nothing happens. Instead, the protagonist is, t ...more
(German version below)
I like reading massively long, intricately built books. With those, I'm willing to read some pages where nothing happens and neither the story nor the characters evolve. However, this isn't a long book, but a very short one. Not even 300 pages in total - and yet, for 150 pages, nothing at all happens.
Oh sure, we get to know the characters, and some sort of a rather disappointing road movie of a quest, but nothing happens. Instead, the protagonist is, t ...more

tw: violence, death of a parent (in the past), near-drowning, death.
This felt like two entirely different books. The first half was SO BORING, but then at the half way point things finally pick up, but it wasn't enough for me to really get into it. This just wasn't my cup of tea unfortunately. :( ...more
This felt like two entirely different books. The first half was SO BORING, but then at the half way point things finally pick up, but it wasn't enough for me to really get into it. This just wasn't my cup of tea unfortunately. :( ...more

The first 150 pages out of 270 was them walking around and sometimes eating. What. The. Heck. I love me some fantasy but I need a dang plot.. Have zero interest in these characters or where this series is going. Why is it so dang hard to find a good book to read???

Well written story and enjoyable in a meandering way. I enjoyed the mythology woven into the story. Gen was an engaging unreliable narrator.

Full Review Link
It is safe to say that I spend most of my free time reading. I read three to four books every week, sometimes more. I am very careful with what I choose to read which means that most of the books I read, I end up enjoying at least to some degree. But it is rare, extremely rare, to read a book that falls in that category of Books for Life. You know the ones: those that take over your heart and your mind, that even when you are reading you know that you are experiencing something u ...more
It is safe to say that I spend most of my free time reading. I read three to four books every week, sometimes more. I am very careful with what I choose to read which means that most of the books I read, I end up enjoying at least to some degree. But it is rare, extremely rare, to read a book that falls in that category of Books for Life. You know the ones: those that take over your heart and your mind, that even when you are reading you know that you are experiencing something u ...more

Okay, so this was my third attempt at reading this book. But I finally did it!! I don’t know why I struggled so much the first two times, I mean the book is less than 300 pages. But for some reason I just couldn’t get into it before. I thought I’d give it one last attempt and I downloaded the audiobook to help me along, which was fantastic by the way.
Now you may look at my rating and assume that I didn’t much care for it. That’s not true, whilst it did have its problems I did actually really li ...more
Now you may look at my rating and assume that I didn’t much care for it. That’s not true, whilst it did have its problems I did actually really li ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fantasy Buddy Reads: The Thief [Queen's Thief Series Read] [Jan 15, 2021] | 23 | 24 | Jan 29, 2021 10:28PM | |
Tallinna Keskraam...: 2020 September - "Varas" Megan Whalen Turner | 6 | 11 | Sep 26, 2020 02:26AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1) By Megan Whalen Turner - Starting November 22nd 2019 | 40 | 101 | Nov 27, 2019 08:46PM | |
Challenge Corner: The Queen's Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner--Starting with The Thief on November 22nd, 2019 | 5 | 6 | Nov 26, 2019 11:49AM |
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The Queen's Thief
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3 trivia questions
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“All I wanted to do was lie in the dry grass with my feet in a ditch forever. I could be a convenient sort of milemarker, I thought. Get to the thief and you know you're halfway to Methana.”
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“You learn something new everyday."
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More quotes…
"What are you learning?" Sophos asked.
"To keep my mouth shut, I hope.”