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

Mar 03, 2012 Terry Simpson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recently, I've been reading quite a bit of thieves and assassins and the like. All of them have been good. Among Thieves does not disappoint.

I would consider this book more of a medieval style spy fantasy with a generous helping of sword fights and some well used sorcery. The main character Drothe is well done and so is Degan. Loved them both.

The sense of danger and intrigue is littered throughout this book and the prose style made me feel like I was Drothe. I could relate, his voice was that di ...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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Oct 16, 2011 Jacob rated it really liked it

(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 (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 ...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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Oct 19, 2011 Dee rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: world-fantasy, loanage, grit, a-kind-of-magic, ninjas-get-chicks, seriously-urban

Many things in its favour - fun with street argot, sassy narrator voice, complex existing relationships, lack of cliche, interesting magic. But it never really made these things work hard for a big pay-off, and I found myself generally on the under side of whelmed. Big and bold plot options that were flying around promisingly got shelved for future volumes in the last quarter of the book in favour of a tidy "let's set up a series here" conclusion.

To deviate into the general rumination for a mome ...more

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