- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Gollancz (26 Aug 2010)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0575094486
- ISBN-13: 978-0575094482
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 13.5 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,417,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Thief-Taker's Apprentice
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'a good solid fanatsy for all ages' (BOOK GIRL OF MUR-Y-CASTELL )
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
A teenage thief becomes a teenage assassin and must live with the consequences.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The city of Deephaven is still recovering from a civil war that wracked it and the surrounding Empire several decades ago. The war left behind many orphans and unwanted children, some of whom have grown up with thievery the only option for survival. After unwisely making a thief-taker his mark, one of these boys, Berren finds his life transformed as he is recruited as the thief-taker's apprentice.
The Thief-Taker's Apprentice is the start of a new trilogy by Stephen Deas, author of the Memory of Flames Trilogy (The Adamantine Palace, The King of the Crags and the forthcoming The Order of Scales). It is set in the same world, apparently on a continent on the far side of the Taiytakei homelands, but a couple of mentions of the Taiytakei aside, there are no links between the two series (yet, anyway). It is also nominally a 'Young Adult' title, but Deas actually pulls few punches in the book to accommodate these younger readers. Particularly amusing (and actually effective) is the use of corrupted Cockney rhyming slang to get around restrictions on swearing, whilst the violence is not particularly sanitised (although not gratuitous, either).
The book is pretty traditional. Whilst Memory of Flames has the politics of the dragon realms and the use of dragons as horrendous weapons of war going for it, The Thief-Taker's Apprentice is much happier employing standard tropes. We have a young main character (albeit one whose morality is a bit greyer than the standard young boy cliche), an older mentor (a disgraced nobleman from a distant land), the romantic interest, the nemesis and so on. Those looking for something surprising and new might be disappointed here. However, Deas takes the standard material and infuses it with great pace and some impressive depth, given the modest page count. The city of Deephaven, with its myriad districts, street gangs, commercial interests, sense of traumatic history and politics (seen here only at a far remove), is depicted very well, whilst there's some good character moments, particularly with Syannis the conflicted thief-taker and some minor characters like Kasmin. Berren himself and romantic interest Lilissa are less surprising, but likable enough as antagonists.
Where the book falters is that it hints at some more interesting developments to come, but then ends just as the story gets going. Given the book's slight length, it feels like it could have been longer and pursued certain storylines further.
The Thief-Taker's Apprentice (***½) is a likable, enjoyable story but one that whets the appetite rather than fully satisfies. The sequel, The Warlock's Shadow, is due next year. The book is available now in the UK and on import in the USA.
The Thief-Taker's Apprentice is the start of a new trilogy by Stephen Deas, author of the Memory of Flames Trilogy (The Adamantine Palace, The King of the Crags and the forthcoming The Order of Scales). It is set in the same world, apparently on a continent on the far side of the Taiytakei homelands, but a couple of mentions of the Taiytakei aside, there are no links between the two series (yet, anyway). It is also nominally a 'Young Adult' title, but Deas actually pulls few punches in the book to accommodate these younger readers. Particularly amusing (and actually effective) is the use of corrupted Cockney rhyming slang to get around restrictions on swearing, whilst the violence is not particularly sanitised (although not gratuitous, either).
The book is pretty traditional. Whilst Memory of Flames has the politics of the dragon realms and the use of dragons as horrendous weapons of war going for it, The Thief-Taker's Apprentice is much happier employing standard tropes. We have a young main character (albeit one whose morality is a bit greyer than the standard young boy cliche), an older mentor (a disgraced nobleman from a distant land), the romantic interest, the nemesis and so on. Those looking for something surprising and new might be disappointed here. However, Deas takes the standard material and infuses it with great pace and some impressive depth, given the modest page count. The city of Deephaven, with its myriad districts, street gangs, commercial interests, sense of traumatic history and politics (seen here only at a far remove), is depicted very well, whilst there's some good character moments, particularly with Syannis the conflicted thief-taker and some minor characters like Kasmin. Berren himself and romantic interest Lilissa are less surprising, but likable enough as antagonists.
Where the book falters is that it hints at some more interesting developments to come, but then ends just as the story gets going. Given the book's slight length, it feels like it could have been longer and pursued certain storylines further.
The Thief-Taker's Apprentice (***½) is a likable, enjoyable story but one that whets the appetite rather than fully satisfies. The sequel, The Warlock's Shadow, is due next year. The book is available now in the UK and on import in the USA.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Stephen breaks into the Young Adult Fantasy Market with this offering and to be honest its an offering that will soon win him some younger fans. The writing style is beautiful, the prose ideal and to be brutally honest one that really will help the reader imagine the city in which the tale is set.
Add to the mix great combat, some magical twists and an author who plays for keeps which makes this title a book that really was a real joy to read. Fans of Stephens adult titles will definitely want to recommend this title to younger family members and will enjoy this title just as much themselves. A great kick off to the Gollancz Young Adult publishing business and if the quality is kept will soon make them a serious name for Young Adult quality fiction.
Add to the mix great combat, some magical twists and an author who plays for keeps which makes this title a book that really was a real joy to read. Fans of Stephens adult titles will definitely want to recommend this title to younger family members and will enjoy this title just as much themselves. A great kick off to the Gollancz Young Adult publishing business and if the quality is kept will soon make them a serious name for Young Adult quality fiction.
Format:Paperback
A great start to an ongoing series. Quick light read that is very descriptive. Aimed for the young adult range but a very good read. Would recommend.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Wow.
One of the best books I've read in a while, read it all in a few days. I'll be getting the second book soon!
Published 12 days ago by Shalidar22
good characters and world-building; slim plot
A good, short, entertaining read. The apprenticeship part of the story works very well, and is quite interesting enough in its own right. Read more
Published 4 months ago by E. L. Woodcock
A lot of set-up and promise in this secondary world fantasy
Berren's only ever known a life of crime. An excellent thief, he makes his living cutting purses and paying a percentage to Hatchet in return for his protection. Read more
Published 6 months ago by quippe
The Thief Taker's Apprentice
The Thief-Taker's Apprentice is a tale of bounty-hunters and thieves set in a historic fantasy world. Read more
Published 8 months ago by R. LILES
the thief- taker's apprentice
I thought this book was a nice change, it's different and all in all I thought, a nice idea.
It's rather interesting and did include some elements of a twist throughout the... Read more
It's rather interesting and did include some elements of a twist throughout the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Ruth
Interesting YA fantasy
My thoughts:
I don't know if I would have know this was YA if I hadn't read it somewhere, and because of that it works just as well for a young reader as for an adult... Read more
I don't know if I would have know this was YA if I hadn't read it somewhere, and because of that it works just as well for a young reader as for an adult... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Blodeuedd
Leaves you wanting the next book!
The Thief-Taker's Apprentice is Stephen Deas' first YA novel. It's is set in the same world as his A Memory of Flames trilogy and is the first in a trilogy of its own. Read more
Published 13 months ago by W.M.M. van der Salm-Pallada
Short, but sweet.
I picked this up as soon as I could after reading the first chapter on the author's website. Excellent writing, pacing and a promise of more were evident in just that, but the... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Jon Green
Very good story-telling
Declaration of interest: Steve is a friend of mine. In fact, I was only supposed to be delivering the book to a young adult of our acquaintance (to get an opinion from a member of... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Nigel Gale
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