Reviews

Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner

chirson's review against another edition

4.0

A really gripping read with clever things to say about power and emotions, and freedom. Kamet is immediately believable, complex and interesting. I loved the intermissions of Ennikar and Immakuk's adventures in the form of beautifully rendered epic poems. All the same, I found the conclusion to be a little underwhelming and not as emotionally satisfying as conclusions of some of the earlier volumes.

Spoiler

I'm afraid the reason for that was that the novel very much invests the friendship of Costis and Kamet with signs of homoerotic affection - the queer reading is very obvious and strongly suggested. There are alibi moments of course: obligatory "we both have women exes!" tales, for example. But after all that investment, the lack of resolution on that front, making do with sailing into the sunset, felt tonally false. And don't get me wrong, maybe the characters aren't meant to read as queer as they do: but even if you only consider them to be friends, and their relationship to be non-erotic, the resolution of their conflict falls just a little flat, just a little short for me. I know that Whalen is capable of strong, even pathos-filled emotional resolutions; this one felt too subtle, too withdrawn; the build-up was so powerful and so complex that I expected bigger fireworks.

That said: when is the next book? I need it. What happens next?!

thelibertybelle's review against another edition

adventurous funny

5.0

aggie24's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

thep's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

hgranger's review against another edition

4.0

I love Megan Whalen Turner’s writing and this whole universe is brilliant. Another excellent installment — Kamet is obnoxious and amazing at the same time. His character has such great development and this story ties past events together well. Loved it!

saluki's review against another edition

5.0

One of my favourite series and Megan Whalen Turner doesn't disappoint... she writes the best biased narrators. We meet characters from previous books and the reader is looking for nuggets during the first half of the book to discover the identity of the Attolian. So, well done. And, of course, there is devious Gen.

Loved it. Only hope we don't have to wait another five years for the next one.

EDIT: Aug 2020.
Love, love, love these books even more on the reread. Read in anticipation for The Return of the Thief (due 6 Oct 2020).

sp00324's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Thick as Thieves" by Megan Whalen Turner is a solid addition to the Queen's Thief series, offering an engaging tale of intrigue and espionage in a meticulously crafted fantasy world. While it certainly has its merits, it falls just short of reaching the highest echelons of the series. 

Megan Whalen Turner's world-building remains a strong point, with vivid descriptions of landscapes and a well-developed cultural backdrop. However I just didn't connect as well with this book as with some of the others in the series. I wasn't super intrigued, though I liked and enjoyed Kamet's perspective. The pacing was a bit off for me especially in the middle. I also normally really enjoy the additional stories which are often sprinkled through books in this series as they are about the gods and the mythology etc however I didn't really in this book and found myself skim reading them even when I was trying not to. The ending was really good though and I very much enjoyed it 

As always Turner's prose are eloquent and evocative so it was still an enjoyable read.  More so I am still very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

lostinwater's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

enbyglitch's review against another edition

5.0

Yet another lovely addition to the series. Turner certainly has a formula with these books, but it hasn't failed yet. I saw half the twist coming from so early on that I was blindsided by the other half of it in the best way.

I have my fingers crossed that the next book will finally return the series to its roots, but I'm sure it will be excellent regardless.

vicki_s's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a fun story. I loved the two Gods of the Mede referenced throughout. Another fun installment but I am sorry it will be ending soon.