Return of the Thief

October 19, 2020
In the triumphal final volume of the Queen’s Thief series, more than 20 years after the publication of The Thief, Turner sticks her landing with aplomb. Dissent from within threatens to undo the delicate union of nations Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis under Eugenides, former Thief of Eddis. As the emperor of the massive Mede empire begins a full-scale invasion, the countries marshal their resources to defend a crucial territory, testing the allied nations’ bond. Narrator Pheris, an often mistreated nonverbal child, born “with the infirmity that ran in my family,” becomes Eugenides’s attendant. Through cautious, wily Pheris’s adept observations (“the less people want to see you, the easier it becomes to be invisible in plain sight”), Turner highlights Eugenides’s actions, personality—sometimes kind, often calculatingly brutal—and knack for the unexpected reversal. Building to a succession of stirring climactic scenes that twine long-standing thematic and narrative arcs, Turner offers a fulfilling conclusion that rewards knowledge of the previous books. Ages 13–up.

Starred review from November 1, 2020

Gr 9 Up-After being born with the infirmity that runs through his family and earning the nickname "monstrous" as a baby, Pheris Mostrus Erondites has grown up aware of his own limitations and vulnerabilities, from his bad leg and arm as well as his inability to communicate verbally. Pheris is as surprised as anyone when he is named Baron Erondites's heir and sent to the Attolian court to serve as an attendant to the king of Attolia, Eugenides. Years of fear and caution have taught Pheris how to play the fool and hide in plain sight, but even he can't escape Eugenides's notice as the Little Peninsula prepares for war. As the newly appointed high king of Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis, Eugenides has united the three countries but that does not mean their people are ready-or willing-to fight the invading Mede empire. Pheris observes and recounts everything for readers as political maneuvers, personal dramas, and his grandfather's schemes unfold while creating an unlikely place for himself in the palace and in the hearts of some of its residents. With war looming, Eugenides has to work harder than ever to protect everyone he loves and make sure he does not offend the gods who have taken an interest in both the Little Peninsula and him since his early years as the Queen's Thief. A direct sequel to Thick as Thieves, this novel will be most rewarding to readers of the entire series with the resolution of many character arcs and nods to multiple events across the overlapping time lines of the previous books. The society is divided along class lines and race is largely undescribed. VERDICT As intricately plotted as it is utterly satisfying, this series finale has everything readers could hope for from a conclusion 20 years in the making.-Emma Carbone, Brooklyn P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
Pheris, the heretofore-unknown heir of the traitorous Baron Erondites, is sent to be raised in the Attolian court. Possessing a keen intellect, Pheris has nevertheless had to play the fool in order to survive; his cerebral palsy�? like physical disabilities have led others to underestimate him, so it's easy to continue the charade. An astute judge of character, Eugenides sees past his appearance, treating him with kindness, respect, and trust. The high king will need all the help he can get, human and divine, as he quells an insurrection in Attolia; preserves the fragile alliance between the peninsular kingdoms; deals with an overwhelming invasion by the Mede empire; and bears the strain it all places on his personal relationships. Turner, true to form, tantalizingly pulls readers in by forcing them to draw their own inferences about character and motivation from dialogue and exposition. The tightly crafted plot produces a series of dramatic climaxes, followed by a slow and satisfying denouement that has an elegiac quality. "I stared into the faces of the dead as I passed. Their skin as pale and as hard as stone, their blood black, and the dew gathered on their hair and eyelashes anointed them like sacred oil." As readers bid farewell to this acclaimed series (beginning with 1996's The Thief, rev. 11/96) and its beloved cast of characters, it's clear that this concluding volume serves as the keystone, inextricably linking the preceding entries together in surprising yet inevitable ways; it's a bravura performance by one of our finest writers. Jonathan Hunt

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)