10+)ĭarius Kellner suffers from depression, bullying by high school jocks, and a father who seems to always be disappointed in him.

This is an uplifting book, a literary journey that enriches both its characters and readers before it is over. His ultimate discovery of the legendary stone and the clearing of his reputation are as grand as the fantastic myths the travelers tell on their fateful trip. Similarly, Gen's narrative voice, at turns snide, sharp, then sad, will seem familiar to young adults. No adolescent will be able to ignore Gen's resentment, embarrassment, and pain, made palpable through Turner's compassion and crystalline prose.

The journey at first is fraught more with psychic than physical dangers: The magus and the other king's men on the trip-soldier Pol, aristocrats Sophos and Ambiades-insult Gen for his low birth and choice of profession, even denying him proper food and medical care. For the chance at regaining his freedom, Gen agrees. Gen the thief is released from prison in the imaginary medieval land of Sounis by the king's magus, on the condition that he join an expedition to recover the legendary Hamiathes's Gift Stone, said to be hidden in an elaborate maze underneath a river. All rights reserved.A thief's quest for a priceless gemstone forms the background for a tale of redemption, tolerance, and cooperation in this first novel from Turner ( Instead of Three Wishes, 1995, etc.). 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. 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. 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. 'I began with Turner’s 1996 novel, which I’d loved in middle school but mostly forgotten.

'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.

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