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by Megan Whalen Turner
Adventure/survival
280 pages
We all want at some point to have the ability to steal anything, anywhere, whoever’s it is. The idea of being able to pick a lock, or slip a necklace right off the neck of one who’s wearing it is just thrilling. The main character in this book can do just that, or so he thinks.
Gen loves to steal, and that is his only job. But a little bit of bragging about his abilities didn’t get him anywhere but the cold, damp prison. One night, the king’s highly esteemed magus on the king’s orders, drags Gen into his room, and recruits him secretly for a mission: Gen has to steal the fabled Hamiathes’s Gift, which gives the wearer the right to rule the adjacent country, Eddis. The magus thinks Gen is just a thief for hire, but Gen has a few tricks up his sleeve, including a surprising lineage. This book has loads of action packed adventures, tons of twists and turns you won’t be expecting, and a very close encounter with the gods.
Gen, or Eugenides, thinks very highly of himself. He only wants the best, and, to him, he deserves the best. He owns a strong loyalty to his native country, and a surprisingly clever mind, but his brain isn’t always quick enough to stop the snappy, sarcastic remarks that he shoots at the ungrateful magus. An eventual friend to Gen, Sophos has a caring, sensitive heart. Sophos doesn’t always seem to look forward to his future position as a duke. Even though his name means ‘wisdom’ in Greek, he is coming along slow with his learning of the outdoors, which can get him depressed at times. Sophos could almost be described as the opposite of Gen, as Sophos doesn’t think very highly of himself, but of others, which is a great show of wisdom.
Readers could learn from this book to not judge people at first sight, like the magus does to Gen, because they could be more smart or important than you may think. Gen finds a newfound faith in the gods, after meeting them first hand, a chilling experience in the least, and the magus learns to be more caring and thankful to those who help him, both things very necessary for a successful future.
I can relate to Gen’s bragging and self-centeredness, as I sometimes find myself doing and being just the same, a problem that everyone who has a skill finds themselves dealing with.
- Reviewed by Max L.
React to this Review Great Rivers Regional Library
Hennepin County Library
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