Tag: thieves

Children of the Fox

Children of the Fox by Kevin Sands is the first book in his newest series – Thieves of Shadow. A group of young thieves is tasked with stealing a magical item from a very powerful weaver (mage). Many teams have tried; all have failed. Can these children pull of the impossible? And can they do it on such a tight deadline?

Having really enjoyed The Blackthorn Key Series by Kevin Sands, I was hoping to have the same experience with Children of the Fox. However, that was not the case. I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t like it. The story itself is well written, and if you are listening to the audio, the narrator is great. The story is interesting enough that I finished it, but not so interesting that I will finish the series. There was just something about it I didn’t like. Part of it was the lack of humor and camaraderie between the characters. The Blackthorn Key had both humor and a great friendship between the characters; Children of the Fox lacked that. Also, the story itself was kind of strange and didn’t draw me in. For starters, I couldn’t quite identify the setting of the story. It reminded me of a historical time-period interspersed with some science fiction (mention of airships) and very heavy on the fantasy/magical aspect. I was also thrown off by the role of their gods – Fox and Bear – in the story as well.

Anyway, this story wasn’t for me, but it is a well written story for those who are interested in trying it.    

Thieves at Heart

When I first started reading Thieves at Heart by Tristan J. Tarwater, I was excited. Tarwater’s writing drew me in, and I thought perhaps I had found a new fiction series to explore. However, it was not to be. Halfway through the book, I was still trying to figure out what the point of the story was.

Thieves at Heart follows the exploits of a young girl named Tavera who is being trained as a thief by her adopted father. Why do they steal? Because they like it. They get a thrill from planning and orchestrating a successful “take” (what they call their heists). Aside from that, there is no point to the story – no real plot – nothing moving the story forward.

While I did finish the book, I won’t be reading any more in this series. I’m the type of reader who enjoys stories with more intention.

However, like I said earlier, Ms. Tarwater’s writing did grab my attention within the first few pages, and I would consider trying another series that she writes. I think with a bit more proof reading and some editing, Ms. Tarwater shows great promise as a writer.