Among Thieves (Tales of the Kin, #1) in Fantasy-Faction.com

Jan 07, 2011 Marc Aplin rated it it was amazing

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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Apr 05, 2011 Mogsy rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, thieves

Not bad for a debut fantasy novel! All in all, I was glad I picked this up at a time I was looking for a new author to read and was particularly interested in delving more into the "thieves" fantasy sub-category. However, I choose to give this book 3.5 stars, namely because of several factors:

1. Narration in the first person perspective. Sometimes this works great; sometimes it doesn't. In the case of Among Thieves, I think the decision to use it was perhaps a tad ambitious. We as the readers on Not bad for a debut fantasy novel! All in all, I was glad I picked this up at a time I was looking for a new author to read and was particularly interested in delving more into the "thieves" fantasy sub-category. However, I choose to give this book 3.5 stars, namely because of several factors:

1. Narration in the first person perspective. Sometimes this works great; sometimes it doesn't. In the case of Among Thieves, I think the decision to use it was perhaps a tad ambitious. We as the readers only see what Drothe sees, know what Drothe knows. Normally, I'd enjoy this; when I'm relying solely on a protagonist to give me the play-by-play, it also starts to make me feel like I'm living out his adventures with him. But it can also prove extremely awkward when it comes to the revealing of plot twists by the character.

2. Convoluted storyline. Too many things going on at once and too many characters to keep track of made this book very difficult to follow, especially in the beginning when catching and keeping your reader's attention is so crucial. Granted, all the numerous plot lines fall into place towards the end, but that still seems like a lot to ask of your readers, in my opinion.

3. Just a few other little minor observations I made while reading, such as awkward dialogue moments or writing techniques that leaped out of the page at me and reminded me that I was reading a book by a new author.

However, even without its polish, Among Thieves delivered a great story that was full of action and interesting twists and turns. At times, I even found myself wishing the book would slow down a little -- Douglas Hulick takes the idea of "something interesting must happen in every chapter" to the max.

If you asked me whether or not I will ever read something else in the future by this author, I would say most likely yes. As a fantasy author, I think Mr. Hulick has great potential. He has already shown that he can spin a good yarn; with more time and experience, I think he can deliver some amazing stories. ...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Anne Lyle rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Among Thieves is the story of Drothe (no surname – he’s too cool for that!), a “Nose” or informant in the pay of one of the crimelords of Ildrecca, the capital of a Renaissance-like empire. There are hints of a wider world outside, but the action of the book is confined to the city itself, particularly the seedier quarters where a “shadow empire” of organised crime holds sway. Drothe works for an Upright Man, one of the lower-level bosses who have carved up the city between them but who are them Among Thieves is the story of Drothe (no surname – he’s too cool for that!), a “Nose” or informant in the pay of one of the crimelords of Ildrecca, the capital of a Renaissance-like empire. There are hints of a wider world outside, but the action of the book is confined to the city itself, particularly the seedier quarters where a “shadow empire” of organised crime holds sway. Drothe works for an Upright Man, one of the lower-level bosses who have carved up the city between them but who are themselves pawns in a larger game played by the Gray Princes, near-legendary figures known only by epithets such as “Longreach” or “The Piper’s Son”. Hulick’s use of historical thieves’ cant, supplemented by invented slang, gives shape to what could otherwise be a bewildering array of forgers, fences and hired muscle, as Drothe investigates what seems to be a minor mystery (an undecipherable code found on a smuggler) and finds himself way in over his head.

This is certainly the most action-packed book I’ve read since The Swords of Albion – poor Drothe rarely escapes a chapter without another chase or fight (and a good deal of resultant pain and injury). The pace develops gently at first, allowing the reader time to get to know the world, but by the halfway mark the plot revelations and action set-pieces are coming thick and fast. The fight scenes in particular are very detailed – Hulick is an aficionado of renaissance swordsmanship – indeed almost a little too detailed and blow-by-blow, but this is first-person narrative so I’m willing to cut Drothe a little slack for being hyperaware in combat. I know from firsthand experience (not fighting, I must add) how time really does seem to slow down when your adrenaline spikes!

It’s not all swordplay, however; this is a world of magic too, from minor charms used by the criminal fraternity to spells of earth-shattering power forbidden to all but the emperor. Mostly, though, magic seems to cause more problems than it solves – an approach I heartily endorse.

Overall, a cracking debut, and I’m really looking forward to reading the sequel, Sworn in Steel, which is due out summer 2012. ...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Blodeuedd Finland rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I am going to do a 3 reasons review cos my thoughts on this book are divided. The first 200 pages are a 2, the last 200 pages a 3. But I will only grade it for those good 200 pages.

1.) Reasons you chose this book
Honestly, it was fantasy and I wanted to read it.

2.) Reasons you liked or disliked this book
I disliked the book cos the first 200 pages were boring. I thought about giving up as I really did not care about anything happening. But at the same time I did not want to give up cos I truly hat ...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Liviu rated it it was ok

Shelves: genre-fantasy, 2011_release_read, read_2011

Among Thieves is a novel that illustrates well the other side of the coin in first person narrations which i generally tend to prefer over multiple POV or third person narration whenever feasible; I can name a lot of books it's highly unlikely I would have enjoyed not for the first person narration and the appreciation of the narrator's style.

However once in a while there comes a book where the story seems interesting but the narrator's voice does not work for me and I would have enjoyed the bo ...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Ken rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-faction-book-club

I've been reading a lot of great debuts lately and Among Thieves is definitely one of the top ones. Hulick applies his love of fencing and medieval history to create a convincing criminal underworld filled with rich history, action and excitement.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Drothe - a nose, a person responsible for sniffing out information for the crime boss. What started out as a simple job to find the missing Imperial relic quickly spiralled out of control, as Drothe finds himself ...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Caleigh Minshall rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. The action comes fast and furious, but it was Ildrecca, the city setting, that completely stole the show for me. What a wonderfully realized and living setting! I wish I could visit. Drothe, the informant who tells the story in first-person narration, is also a hilarious and dynamic character with a superb voice. I've recommended this book to my partner, who rarely reads much of anything -- the voice is so fun and the story so zippy that even HE'S loving it! He's about halfway ...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Molly H. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: on-my-bookshelf, favorites, fantasy, ongoing-series-i-follow

This book is amazing! It's a non-stop series of fantastic characters and exciting action, set in an interesting world. I love Drothe as the protagonist because, honestly, his best friend Degan seems like the classic fantasy protagonist. Although he seems ordinary (and is, perhaps, more ordinary than most fantasy protagonists) and often ends up being in the right place at the right time, he is extraordinary in his ability to react to the situations that he stumbles upon. If I have one critique, i ...more

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May 10, 2013 Chris Conley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

I spent much of the book uncertain as to whether it deserved four or five stars (a good problem to have), but it came together so well in the end that it solidified the higher score. Good story, great protagonist, nice flow, and it went down several paths I didn't see coming. Excellent book. ...more

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