The Spirit Thief (Legend of Eli Monpress) [Paperback]

Fantasy is often a genre that takes itself way to seriously, so it's always enjoyable when you find an author that takes a step into the imagination and turns conventions upon themselves. IN part this title has similarities between Karen Miller's (aka KE Mills) Rogue Agent Series and the Gentlemen Bastards of Scott Lynch fame. It's definitely quirky, it's got some great characters and the way in which the world is built really will give the reader a great experience. Finally back that up with some top notch story arc, some great dialogue and a rogue hero who you'll just love to hang out with and I look forward to seeing where Rachel will take the series.

FULL REVIEW HERE: [...]

There is this growing trend of late for dark, gritty fantasy where all the darkness of the human soul is explored in depth. We have gone from a white knight in shining armour, to looking into some of the darkest souls of men. I don't know if it's at risk of becoming a cliché, but there are times when it makes things tiresome to the extreme. I don't always want to read a story about how dark humans can be, I just want a good story.

The Spirit Thief, first instalment in the Legend of Eli Monpress series was certainly a breath of fresh air, and one of the first books in a long time to have made me laugh out loud this much.

The story takes place in the kingdom of Mellinor where Spiritualists are not welcomed. Melinor, ruled by King Henrith, is a small but prosperous kingdom that doesn't tend to attract much attention from the rest of the world. That is, of course, until Eli Monpress, the greatest thief to have ever existed, decides to steal Melinor's king.

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With Henrith gone, his banished elder brother Renaud, sees his perfect opportunity to return. Having been sent away from the kingdom for being a spiritualist, Renaud has but one thing in mind: getting the throne back and using Gregorn's Pillar to make himself the most powerful person from Melinor to the Spirit Court, even if it means enslaving every spirit in his wake. But to his brother's court, he appears to be but a brother who worries for his sibling and wants what is best for the kingdom.

But Miranda sees the truth behind his intentions and isn't about to let it all happen. With the help of her ghosthound, Gin, she seeks out Eli to demand his help: after all, he's the one who started all this, isn't he? With the help of Eli's companions-the swordsman Josef, and the mysterious Nico-they must find a way to stop Renaud, whilst avoiding the swordsman Coriano who is after Josef's Heart of War, an awakened blade.

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Aaron's writing fits her main character like a glove: it's witty and charming, and enjoyably leads you through the adventures of her characters. Never has a book possessed so many lines that have genuinely made me laugh to the extent that I had to stop reading.

For those who like their fantasy only dark and gritty, this isn't going to be for you, but for those, like me, who enjoy good characterisation, efficient storytelling, and a good dose of well placed humour, The Spirit Thief is the book for you. It has everything a fun fantasy adventure should have, and more, and I look forward to reading through the other books in the series!

The Spirit Thief is a fun romp of a fantasy novel. Anyone expecting deep character examinations or involving political storylines will be disappointed. Instead it's an action orientated adventure with a charming but mysterious leading man and his equally mysterious companions. Most of the story is told through the point of view of Miranda, a `good' wizard who is trying to catch Eli for ruining the reputation of the Spirit Court with his thieving ways. Eli's character, past and motivations remain shrouded in mystery - hopefully for further examination in later books. The only thing he seems focused on is increasing the bounty on his head. In comparison Miranda is driven by her honour and morals - she comes over as a strong moral character, capable and intelligent. Her interactions with her ghosthound are a joy to read and I hope that she continues to follow in Eli's footprints for some time to come in order to keep him on his toes!

The system of magic Rachel Aaron has created seems different (to me at least!) with everything having a spirit - not just living things such as trees and animals but also rope, stone, rivers, fire. The wizards have the ability to talk to spirits and ask them to help. Eli particularly seems good at gaining helps from spirits - in the first scene he charms the prison door into opening for him! The system isn't explored in much detail but the abuse of spirits becomes an important point - is it right for humans to inflict their own will on other spirit's souls? Mostly though the story is a variety of heists, fights and magical battles as Eli races around the kingdom of Mellinor causing trouble - and it is a lot of fun. I got caught up in the excitement and had a huge grin on my face at many of Eli's antics. My one niggle is that I was left wanting to know more about Eli and his companions - I didn't feel like I knew them that much more by the end than I did at the beginning.

In the end The Spirit Thief is like a Caesar salad - a great start to the meal that whets your appetite for more but not quite enough on its own. On the plus side the next two books in this five book series, The Spirit Rebellion and The Spirit Eater are out now and I'm hopefully they'll fill me up - and I already have The Spirit Rebellion on my TBR pile! J