Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner

“I woke to find I had not been murdered in my sleep.” ― Megan Whalen Turner, Thick as Thieves

4****

The first half of Thick as Thieves - the fifth in the wonderful Queen's Thief Series - was so slow and disappointing, I feared I could not rate it above three stars, despite a loyalty I feel towards the series. I know this is not meant directly as a sequel to the prior books, however, I did miss my favorite characters and it took me a while to know what to make of the protagonist, Kamet and his companion, the Attolian (Costis). I am, however, pleased to report that the book picked up considerably after about halfway through, and I started to see where the plot was heading. Whalen Turner's books are generally not super fast paced, but that's all right, because the characters are compelling the writing excellent. This is true enough for Thick as Thieves, though I would have wished the plot was a little more engaging the whole way through. Did this sate my hunger after a six year wait? Not entirely. But was it a worthwhile read? It really was. By the end, I wished I could know more about Kamet and Costis and that not so much of the book had been taken up by their travel. I won't spoil anything, but the ending is clever, and I just wished I could have had more of that.

All that being said, Whalen Turner is a truly wonderful, creative writer, who is great at world building and characterization. I will definitely remain loyal to the series, should she continue it.

The first half of Thick as Thieves - the fifth in the wonderful Queen's Thief books - was so slow and disappointing, I feared I could not rate it above three stars, despite a loyalty I feel towards the series. I know this is not meant directly as a sequel to the prior books, however, I did miss my favorite characters and it took me a while to know what to make of the protagonist, Kamet and his companion, the Attolian (Costis). I am, however, pleased to report that the book picked up considerably after about halfway through, and I started to see where the plot was heading. Whalen Turner's books are generally not super fast paced, but that's all right, because the characters are compelling the writing excellent. This is true enough for Thick as Thieves, though I would have wished the plot was a little more engaging the whole way through. Did this sate my hunger after a six year wait? Not entirely. But was it a worthwhile read? Emphatically, yes.