I immediately picked up its sequel, just as I had the first time around, and read all the way through the five other books in the series-ending with the serendipitously released 2020 conclusion, Return of the Thief.'Ĭopyright 2009-2023 Megan Whalen Turner.

This first book in series introduces one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief.

And when I reached the crucial, climactic twist that gives the entire journey a new meaning, the revelation of a character’s true identity and my giddy original discovery of it more than a decade ago rushed back. New York Times best-selling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics. Turner’s story is heavy on politics and reality, which makes its mysterious supernatural implications irresistible. The reasons why he travels across the country, and what his companions need a thief for, trickle out slowly alongside intrigue and banter. Set in a preindustrial Hellenistic world with a vividly imagined history and mythology, the book’s titular pickpocket, Gen, is a charming scoundrel who’s sprung from jail and drafted for a mysterious mission. Sequels were released years and years apart (including a seven year wait between books 2 and 3), which was honestly fine with fans of the series. 'I began with Turner’s 1996 novel, which I’d loved in middle school but mostly forgotten. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner made its debut in 1996, was named a Newbery Honor book, and was a runner up for the Newbery Medal. 'These are the titles that reignited our love for literature.' Starred reviews for Return of the Thief: The Horn Book, School Library Journal,Īnd The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Booksįrom The Atlantic Culture Desk. LA Times Book Award for Young Adult Literature.

The thief by megan whalen turner