The Thief

You know how it is, you've been burned often enough before by other people's rave reviews, then eventually, you give in, and it's just as bad as you feared. Well no...

The Thief is short, sharp and elegant. I will try to do no spoilers, but there are twists in this plot which I knew about before I started, and that did not diminish my enjoyment in the slightest. Whalen Turner is a skilled world-builder, and this was a thoroughly enjoyable road story. I preferred the slightly knowing, humorous style of Chabons' Gentlemen of the Road, but Chabon's novel is clever stylistically where Whalen Turner's novel is emotionally clever. I can't wait to read Queen of Attolia and King of Attolia, which are on their way from Amazon as I speak. But first I have a whole heap of thinking to do on knotty issues like education and human rights and social justice, so this is a quick post just to say, The Thief vaut le detour.